The Uprising
by FelsGoddess
Summary: Captives of the Yuuzhan Vong are victims of a brutality never seen before by this galaxy. Three captives, two kept for slave labor and one for who he is, struggle to find a way to conquer the Yuuzhan Vong once and for all.
1. Prologue

Title: The Uprising  
Author(s): FelsGoddess  
Timeframe: A couple years after Rebel Stand  
Characters: Jaina Solo, Jagged Fel, Solos, Skywalkers, Fels, OCs  
Genre: Action  
Keywords: slavery, NJO, Yuuzhan Vong captivity  
Summary: Captives of the Yuuzhan Vong are victims of a brutality never seen before by this galaxy. Three captives, two kept for slave labor and one for who he is, struggle to find a way to conquer the Yuuzhan Vong once and for all.  
Notes: Thank you so much to **SWPants666** for being a wonderful beta.

Disclaimer: Star Wars isn't mine.

**Prologue **

Emergency klaxons blared through the air. Military personnel ran in all directions: some going to their fighters, some to the command center and others to their support positions. A voice blared over the loud speaker to inform the soldiers of the situation.

Two adults rushed into the hanger. They stopped next to the opening to a corridor. The woman clutched a small, black haired boy to her chest. Her brown hair was pulled back into a braid. A few strands had escaped the braid and framed her face. The boy clutched the front of his mother's tunic with one tiny hand. The other hand rested on her chest. The raven-haired man leaned down and placed a soft, lingering kiss on the woman's full lips. He then bent down to brush a kiss on the top of her swollen belly. He straightened and took the small boy from his mother's arms. The boy clung to him and pressed his lips against his father's cheek. The man gently pried the boy from his arms and handed him back to his mother a few moments later. He kissed the boy's forehead and the woman one more time. He then turned and ran towards his fighter.

The woman clutched the boy to her chest as she watched her husband run to his craft. She waited a few more seconds, and then turned and rushed down the corridor to the command center. She stood at a transparisteel window and watched the fruitless attempt to defend the planet.

Lights flashed. The woman felt a flash of warning and ran back from the window. A loud explosion rocked the command center. The boy let out a cry.

"Jaina!"

Jaina Solo Fel looked at her father as he gently grabbed her arm.

"We have to get out of here. Now," he told her. She nodded.

"Davin, I need you to go to Grandpa," she told her son as she handed him to her father. She couldn't hold him and run in her current condition.

Jaina and Han raced to the hanger bay. They ran to the _Millennium Falcon_, dodging other personnel evacuating the base. Jaina and Han ran up the ramp. Han set Davin down and rushed to the cockpit. Jaina scooped up her son and strapped him into a child's seat in the hold. She nodded to her mother as she entered the ship. Leia dropped a bag on the floor. Following Leia were several Jedi and workers. Leia ordered all to strap in.

Tahiri Velia slid into the seat next to Davin and glanced at Jaina. Jaina placed a quick kiss on the toddler's forehead, and then turned and raced to the cockpit. She sank down into the co-pilot's chair and joined her father in prepping the ship for launch. Han grabbed the yoke and took off.

Han flew the _Falcon_ out of the hanger. Jaina gasped at the sight before her. The Yuuzhan Vong were raining destruction on the planet below. Fighters exploded all around and hot chunks of yorik coral flew by. Jaina flipped on the comm to the general channel and heard General Wedge Antilles repeat his evacuation order.

The _Falcon_ rocked as plasma assaulted it. Han swore. The quad guns, with Leia and Meewalh at the controls, attempted to blast coralskippers off the hull.

Jaina gritted her teeth as she saw coralskippers blocking their escape vector. She could feel her unborn daughter's stress and placed a hand on her stomach in an attempt to calm her.

"_Falcon_, we're clearing the way out. Be ready," Jag's voice commanded over the comm.

Jaina dialed Jag's private frequency, "Jag, get out of there."

"Jaina, get you and the kids to the Shelter. Please."

The connection ended. Jaina sighed as the remaining pilots of the Twin Suns Squadron cleared the way for the Falcon and other craft. She began programming the first hyperspace jump to the Shelter.

"What the blazes is that?" Han said in shock.

Jaina looked up from the console and followed her father's gaze. She gasped. A large, dark green Yuuzhang Vong vessel loomed overhead. It wasn't like anything Jaina had ever seen before. It had four tentacles and a large mouth-like opening. It approached two X-Wings and a Y-Wing. Jaina and Han watched in horror as the vessel lurched forward and absorbed the fighters.

The vessel picked up speed. Han yelled a warning into the comm across all channels for the remaining fleet to get out of the battle zone and fast.

"No…"

Han turned to look at Jaina. Her fingertips drifted over her mouth as the mass approached an X-Wing and a Clawcraft. Han rested his hand on the hyperdrive lever.

"Jaina, we have to go now," Han said gently. She barely registered what he said. She watched as the two ships juked and jinked to avoid the vessel to no avail. They stood no chance.

Han pulled the lever and the lines of hyperspace filled the viewport. Jaina slowly removed her crash webbing. She stood up on shaking legs. Han place a hand on her arm to support her. She took a deep breath and walked from the cockpit to the hold. Ignoring everyone, she unstrapped Davin, picked him up and went to one of the cabins. She sat down on the bunk, holding Davin.

He wasn't dead, she told herself. She would have felt it.

"Mama?"

Jaina looked down at Davin, "Yes, sweetie?"

"No be scared," he said, patting her cheek, "Daddy be okay."

Jaina dropped a kiss on his forehead. She prayed to the Force that he was right.  
-


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One  
1.5 years later**

Jacen Solo stumbled down the boarding ramp of his stolen shuttle. He hadn't made it to the bottom of the ramp before his mother tackled him. She clung to him, crying. Han, unable to wait, wrapped his arms around his son and wife.

After Leia and Han had let go, Luke and Mara greeted their nephew. Jacen clung to his aunt and uncle tightly.

After Mara released him, Jacen spoke.

"Where's Jaina?" He had been unable to find her presence. He couldn't imagine that his parents strayed away from their only daughter. He was sure she was there, just shielding for whatever reason.

Han and Leia exchanged looks. Leia finally responded.

"Jaina's on Csilla."

"Csilla?" Jacen responded in surprise.

"The Chiss capital planet," Leia explained.

"Why?" Jacen asked. He wasn't exactly sure how long he had been gone, but he doubted she had become a diplomat.

"I think we should go sit down. It's a long story," Han said, throwing an arm around Jacen's shoulder, "but first, you're going to the medcenter."

Two hours later, the Solos were aboard the Falcon on their way to Csilla. Jacen was seated at the holographic gaming table with a baffled look on his face.

"Jaina got married, had two kids, her husband disappeared and she's living with her in-laws in the Unknown Regions?" he asked slowly.

Leia nodded. She handed him several holos. She pointed to the first, an image of Jaina, dressed in a simple white dress, kissing a dark haired man.

"That's Jagged Fel, your brother-in-law. His fighter was snatched during the loss of Chandrilla over a yeah and a half ago," Leia explained. She shuffled through the stack of holos and laid five flat.

"The boy is Davin. He's three. The girl is Ani. She just turned one."

Jacen nodded as he absorbed the information. His nephew, Davin, had black hair and ice-blue eyes. Ani had short brown hair and green eyes. He was fairly certain that Ani was named after Jaina's fallen wingmate Anni Capstan, and their younger brother Anakin. He then furrowed his brow as a question occurred, "Wait. I thought Fel has been missing for over a year?"

Leia nodded sadly as she responded, "A few months before Ani was born."

Jacen swallowed. He couldn't imagine what his sister had gone through. It wasn't the same pain he had gone through during his captivity, but it had to have been difficult for her. He knew his sister. She wouldn't marry someone unless she felt strongly for him. She also wouldn't run away and hide from her problems. For her to run to Csilla...

"Why did she go to Csilla?"

"That's something she'll have to explain."

Jaina Solo Fel shifted from one foot to the other as she watched the Falcon make its landing. She had been waiting for days to see her twin. She had known he was alive for a week. He had reached out to her. Her mother had sent an overjoyed message three days ago announcing Jacen's healthy return and to say that they were on their way. When the Falcon had made contact with the Csillian control, she had rushed home to await her family's arrival.

Her breath stilled as the ramp lowered. She saw Jacen rush down the ramp. Her feet felt frozen to the ground. A sob escaped her mouth as one hand touched her throat. She could not believe that he was back.

Jacen walked towards her. His form blurred with tears. He started to reach for her-

-and was stopped by three-year-old Davin.

"You're making Mama cry!" the boy said sternly, arms crossed in front of his chest. He stood protectively in front of Jaina. She noted that Davin looked a lot like Jagged at that moment.

"It's okay, Davin," Syal Antilles Fel's voice called. "Remember what we told you earlier? This is your Uncle Jacen."

"He's making Mama cry," Davin stated, not budging from his spot in front of Jaina.

"Happy tears, Davin," Jaina explained, kneeling to talk to him. "Reach out and feel."

Davin closed his eyes and touched Jaina's face. She could feel him reaching out to her with the Force. He nodded a couple seconds later, satisfied. He stepped to the side. Jaina stood up and threw her arms around her brother, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Jasa," she cried, "I can't believe you're here."

"Me either," he choked out.

A few moments later, Jaina stepped back to look at him. He was underweight and his eyes were sunken. His hair was long and he had a scraggly beard. Jaina could see several scars marring his skin.

Jacen gave her a smirk, "I can't leave you alone."

"What?" Jaina responded in confusion.

"I leave and you get married and have two kids."

Jaina grinned slightly, "Yeah."

"I suppose I've met Davin. Where's Ani?" he asked.

Jaina gestured behind him. Davin was perched on Han's shoulders while Leia held Ani. Jaina took his hand and walked him over to the children.

Ani reached for Jaina as she approached. She was a shy child. She didn't allow many to hold her and was wary around strangers. Jaina plucked her from her mother's arms.

"Ani, this is your Uncle Jacen," she said. Ani furrowed her brow, and then to everyone's shock, she reached for him.

Jacen cautiously took his niece. She smiled at him and hugged him tightly. An odd smile crossed Jacen's face. He felt strangely at peace.

Jacen followed his sister through the greenhouse attached to the Fel mansion. Jaina was explaining that Syal had started growing a lot of their food at home after the war started. It was cheaper than paying for imports, she explained.

She led him to a trio of benches in the center. She sat down and motioned for him to join her.

"What do you think of the children?" Jaina asked quietly. She plucked a leaf off a small plant and slowly picked it apart.

"They're great," Jacen said with a grin, "I can't believe I'm an uncle."

"I still can't believe I'm their mother," Jaina responded.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your husband," Jacen said quietly after a moment.

"Thank you," she whispered. "He's not dead. I would know if he was dead."

"What exactly happened?" Jacen asked quietly , still speaking softly.

Jaina closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them, "It'd be easier to show you."

Jaina stood up and motioned for Jacen to follow. She led him back into the house and to her bedroom. She dropped to the floor and pulled a box out from under her bed. She pulled out a small datachip and player. She inserted the chip and thrust the player into Jacen's hands. She stood up and sat on the bed, staring at the wall. Jacen gave her a concerned look before pressing play.

"It's a gatherer. It collects ships, prisoners and refugees to be used as slaves," Jacen said when the recording ended.

"Slaves?" Jaina inhaled sharply, eyes looking sharp.

Jacen nodded glumly, "I'm sorry, Jaina."

Jaina closed her eyes again and leaned against the headboard.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. What else would they want with him?"

Jacen turned off the player, set it on the nightstand, and sat next to her. He gradually, tentatively reached out with the Force to Jaina. He met a wave of anguish, worry and mourning. He tried to send a wave of comfort to her, but it met a wall.

Jaina eyed him, "Thanks for trying."

Ani's giggles echoed through the house. She ran down the hallway, trailed by Jacen. Jacen caught up to her, scooped her up and tossed her in the air.

"Now, now, Miss Ani. It's time for bed," he told her. She grinned at him and hugged him with a giggle.

"Nu uh," she said, "No bed."

"Yes," he responded sternly. He carried her to the bedroom she shared with her brother. Jaina had told him that it used to be Jag's room. He plopped her down on her bed. Davin was already tucked into his bed. He was looking at one of his bookchips.

"What story will it be tonight?" Jacen asked.

"One about the Princess!" Ani squealed.

"You had a princess story last night, Ani," Davin said rolling his eyes.

"Is there something you want to hear, Davin?" Jacen asked.

"No," he said and turned back to his bookchip.

Jacen pursed his lips as he selected a story tablet. Davin was a mystery to him. He was more serious, similar to Jagged, he had heard. He rarely wanted to be read to, unless Jaina was there. Davin was protective of his mother and his sister.

Jacen sat on the bed and opened the tablet to read. Ani snuggled up against as Jacen began the tale of a princess who saved the day.

After Ani had fallen asleep, Jaina entered the room. She shook her head with a silent chuckle. She dropped a kiss on Ani's forehead and tucked a blanket around her.

"You keep doing part of my job," Jaina said as she moved to Davin's bed. He turned off his bookchip reader and set it aside. Jaina tucked him into bed and gave him a kiss.

Jacen left the room. He made his way through the hallway and then down the stairs. He could hear his parents talking in the den. He entered the room and sat down in one of the chairs.

"Jacen, what are your plans when your parents leave?" Syal asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked, slightly surprised. The past week had been relaxing. The memories of his captivity certainly haunted him, but being around family, especially his niece, had made it easier.

"Your father and I need to leave soon," Leia said, "I wasn't sure if you were ready to go back and Syal had a suggestion."

"Soontir and I would be more than happy to have you stay here for awhile. You can take the time you need to recover and Ani certainly seems to have taken to you," Syal explained.

Jacen was silent. He knew he wasn't ready to fight a war. He wasn't even sure about his role as a Jedi any more. So much had changed. He had been blocked from the Force by the creature Vergere. She had been killed shortly before his escape. Had she survived, he knew he would not have been able to escape his holding cell. He could still remember the refreshing feeling that had filled his veins when the Force came back to him.

"Jacen?" Syal's voice called gently.

He looked over at him and replied, "Yes, thank you. I accept."  
-


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two  
Two years later**

_"Jaina, get you and the kids to the Shelter. Please."_

Jaina awoke with a start, covered in a cold sweat. She wished it was a nightmare, but it wasn't. It was reality. Almost four years ago, Jag had disappeared. Jaina wanted to believe he was still alive. She truly thought she could still feel flashes from him.

Jaina rubbed her eyes and remembered the past. Wedge had arrived at the Shelter and told her Jag was gone. She'd stayed at the Shelter until she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Jaina knew she had to take her children somewhere safe. Too many people knew where the Shelter was.

After the Yuuzhan Vong began pushing the Chiss borders, the Chiss were forced to integrate with the other governments. The war was at a standstill; neither side was gaining. Jaina had left the Shelter with her two children and flew to Csilla. She had to beg for a landing clearance. When she was finally allowed to land, she had to tell her in-laws that their son was presumed dead. Syal and Soontir Fel insisted Jaina stay with them. Jaina had agreed. She had to keep her children safe.

Jaina sat up and stood. She got out of bed, walked over to the closet and pulled out some clothing. She had about twenty minutes to shower and dress before the children woke up.

"Mama! Mama!" two voices called as Jaina walked into the hallway later. She opened the door next to her own. Davin was bouncing on one bed while Ani bounced on the other.

"Settle down, you two. Davin, go get dressed," Jaina admonished. Davin stopped jumping and hopped to the floor. He went over to the chair at the base of his bed and grabbed his clothes.

Jaina picked Ani up from the bed. Her curly brown hair was a mess. Jaina sat down and began to comb out the tangles.

"Mama, today Davin starts school, right?" Ani asked.

"Yes."

"When can I go to school?" Ani asked.

"In a couple years," Jaina answered. She gently moved Ani from her lap, "Get dressed. We have a busy morning."

Davin Fel stood stiffly against his mother's legs, her hand on his shoulder. He stared at the room in front of him. Two dozen children, mostly Chiss but a few human, were roaming around the room with their parents. His mother gently nudged him forward.

"Go on, Davin. It's time. I'll be here to pick you up later."

Davin nodded as his mother moved to stand in front of him. She knelt down and gave him a hug.

"I'm not scared," he told her, lifting his chin.

His mother smiled sadly at him, "I know. I love you."

She hugged him once more and left the room. A pretty blond woman was calling all the students over to a rug. His grandmother had found this school for him to attend. Most of the children were from military families from the Chiss, Empire and Galactic Alliance.

The teacher introduced herself and asked each child to tell everyone about his or her family. Davin listened some of his new classmates talked.

"Davin, your turn."

David stood up, "My name is Davin Fel. I live with my mommy, my Grandpa Soontir, Grandma Syal and my little sister Ani. My daddy is dead. I have four uncles and two aunts, but some of them are dead. I have more grandparents, Han and Leia."

Davin sat back down. He sat still and listened to the rest of the kids talk. His Uncle Cem told him that Davin acted a lot like his father. Davin only had a few memories of his father. He remembered his dad playing spaceships with him. He remembered his dad reading to him. He remembered his dad hugging him goodbye, kissing his mother and running to his Clawcraft. That was the last time he'd seen him.

Ani had never met their father. She was born two months after their dad disappeared.

Davin heard his teacher call for attention. He stood up quickly. He knew how important it was for him to learn everything he could at school. Smart people helped keep people safe. He knew he was smart. His mother and grandmother had already taught him how to read and write. His mother taught him and his sister how to use the Force.

Davin sat down at his small desk. He was going to learn everything he could so he could help his mother and family keep Ani safe.

The shouts of Yuuzhan Vong slavers could be heard from inside the slave dormitory. Twenty-three beings from all parts of the galaxy were scattered in the small room, each exhausted. A Yuuzhan Vong dropped a tray with food and water inside the door. Two beings, a human male and a Twi'lek female, walked over to the tray and distributed the rations.

Yuuzhan Vong slave ship collected two million slaves from various battles and raids over the past five years. The slaves had been broken up into groups. Some were used for testing biological weapons; others were implanted with slave seeds and forced into hard, mindless labor. Another group was saved for shaping, interrogation and infiltration. Members of this group were brainwashed, shaped and broken. Most of the slaves had been killed or died on their own. A significant amount had taken their own lives early on. The twenty in this particular barrack were an unusually strong group. The impromptu leaders, the man and the Twi'lek, found ways to counteract the slave seeds. The Twi'lek, a former scientist, discovered ways to prohibit the seed from fully developing. Had the Twi'lek wanted to, she could have become a Jedi.

"Telma, she's not looking good," a man from Bespin called to the Twi'lek. He was crouched over a Selonian female. The Selonian was lying on her stomach. A large gash on her right side was oozing with pus. Bioluminescent fungus has crawled into the gash and entered her bloodstream, slowly poisoning her. Several hard coral pieces had sprouted from her spine in the past 48 hours.

The Selonian slowly pushed her up from the floor enough to address the Twi'lek, "Kill me now. Thiss one will die anyway."

The Twi'lek nodded. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence. A bloody injury on this world, whatever it was, was more often than not a death sentence. Very few had managed to fight off the fungal infection. One only succeeded by amputating the infected hand. Ironically, the Yuuzhan Vong saw this as a sign that the woman was worthy of an honorable death. She was removed from the camp and never seen again.

"Tell me when you're ready," Telma said.

The Selonian grunted, "Now. Get it over with."

The other occupants of the room barely flinched as they heard the crack of dying alien's neck. Two approached the body and moved it to the side. Everyone watched in silence, some muttering prayers, as the two moved the body to a far wall. The body would be destroyed by morning by whatever life form arrived first, drawn in by the smell of dead flesh.

Jaina stood in the lobby of the education wing of the military base with Syal and Ani. Ani let out an impatient sigh as she leaned against her grandmother's legs. They were waiting for Davin. He'd been a student at the school for a month.

"Mama, he needs to hurry up!" Ani said, "Unca Jasa is going to be here any minute!"

Jaina smiled softly at her daughter, "Be patient."

Ani sighed again. Jacen Solo was coming to Csilla with data for the Galactic Alliance military personal stationed there. He was scheduled to land in the next twenty minutes. Ani was determined to be the first person to greet her beloved uncle.

Davin appeared in the lobby. Ani rushed over and snatched him hand while scolding, "You're so slow, Davin!"

"Sorry, Ani," he apologized as they approached Jaina and Syal, "Hi, Mommy. Hi, Grandma. Guess what!"

"What?" Jaina asked, grabbing Davin's hand and leading the children from the lobby toward the door.

"We're having a family day at school. People in our family can come in and see stuff we've done and watch our play," Davin explained.

"That sounds like fun," Jaina answered. She opened one of the back doors of her speeder. Ani scrambled inside. Jaina buckled her in her safety seat.

"Will you come, Mommy?" Davin asked as he buckled himself into his chair. He was so excited that he could do it by himself.

"Of course, sweetheart."

"Will you, Grandma Syal?"

"Yes, dear."

"Is Uncle Jacen almost here?" Davin asked.

"Yes, we're on our way to the spaceport now," Jaina answered. About ten minutes later, she pulled into the parking area at the spaceport. She and Syal unloaded the children, despite Davin's protests that he could do it himself, and walked toward the hanger bay where Jacen's shuttle had landed.

"There's the Sunrider!" Davin squealed, tugging on Syal's hand.

"Wait, Davin," Syal scolded softly, "The ramp hasn't lowered yet."

Davin and Ani waited impatiently as the boarding ramp of Jacen's ship lowered. It met the floor of the hanger bay with a clang. Ani tried to pull away from Jaina, but couldn't escape her grasp. It wasn't until Jacen was halfway down the ramp that Jaina and Syal released the children's hands.

Davin and Ani raced towards their uncle. Jacen caught them as they reached the ramp. He scooped both children up in his arms. Ani showered Jacen with kisses while Davin starting asking Jacen questions.

Jaina took Davin from Jacen's grasp when he reached her. She put him on the floor, and then hugged her brother. Ani was still latched to his chest.

"Hello, Jaina."

"Hi, Jacen."

"Unca Jasa! Are you staying with us?" Ani asked excitedly.

"Yes, sweetie, for a few days," he told his niece. Ani squealed and hugged Jacen tightly.

"Let's go! I got a new game we can play and stuff to show you…"

Jacen sat on a couch in the Fel's den, feet propped up on the coffee table. Jaina sank down next to him, curling her legs underneath her. Ani and Davin were finally asleep. They had insisted on Jacen reading them a story before going to bed.  
"How are you, Jaina?" Jacen asked.

Jaina said, "The new piloting simulations I've been working on are working out well. Davin is doing well with school, no surprise there. Ani –"

"No , Jaina," Jacen interrupted, "How are you?"

"I'm…here, I guess. I feel like I should be doing more to end the fighting, but I can't leave Davin and Ani. They already lost their father," Jaina responded after a moment. "I can't leave them."

"Everyone understands. You're doing more than enough by training pilots to effectively fight the Yuuzhan Vong," Jacen responded.

Jaina shrugged off his comment and asked, "How are you?"

"The same. Keeping busy," he responded.

Jaina groaned to herself. Jacen wanted her to talk about everything going in her life, but he refused to open up. After he'd escaped the Vong, he had stayed with Jaina for a while to recover. He had a difficult time talking to anyone, except for little Ani. The two of them bonded quickly. Jacen seemed to find some peace with his niece and she seemed to sense what he needed. He'd left six months later to work with Tahiri Velia and Danni Quee on developing and identifying Vong technology.

"Ani and Davin seem to be doing well," Jacen commented after a moment.

"They are. Davin adjusted to school quickly. He's caught on pretty quickly to everything," Jaina shook her head sadly as she said; "I shouldn't be surprised. He's practically a clone of his father."

"Does he still dream about Jag?" Jacen asked.

"Yes," she said quietly, "I hope he never stops."

Jaina stood up and faced the window. She wrapped her arms around herself. She glanced at Jacen and said," Ani has no idea what Jag was like. She doesn't ask often and I think when she does, it is because of Davin. It breaks my heart, Jacen."

Jacen stood up and walked over to her. He tentatively wrapped an arm around her. She leaned her head against his shoulder, her gaze not leaving the snowy landscape.

"He's still alive," Jaina said quietly, "I know he is, but I don't dare tell the children. It's easier for them to believe he's dead. I don't want to get their hopes up."

Jacen nodded, "That's the smart thing to do."

Jaina closed her eyes. Jacen had seen a ship similar to the one that took Jag grown in a field on Coruscant. He told her that the slaves were then split up into various groups. Some were based on planets; others aboard worldships.

"I never knew Jagged Fel, but if what I've heard is true, he'll find his way back to you." 


	4. Chapter Three Part One

**Chapter Three  
Part One**

Two Yuuzhan Vong warriors threw a young brunette woman into the slavery dormitory. She landed on her knees. Jag and Telma approached the woman slowly. She had various cuts and scrapes all over her body.

"Hello. What's your name?" Telma asked.

"Britna Renz," she responded with a cough.

"Where were you taken from?" Jag asked as he and Telma helped her to the closest mound of moss the slaves used as beds.

"Hydian Way."

"Can you tell us what's been going on? We haven't seen anyone who's been on the outside in awhile," Telma asked gently.

Britna let out a breath, and then told the other slaves what planets had changed hands and other details about the war. The last thing she offered was the date the day she was captured. She guessed that roughly two or three days had passed.

Jag stood up and hissed. He walked away from Britna, and leaned against one of the living walls.

"Jag?" Telma asked quietly, walking over to him.

He shook his head, "It's hard to hear how much time has transpired."

"How long have you been here?" Britna asked nervously.

Jag let out a breath, "About four years."

"Did you have a family?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, a boy. My wife was pregnant last time I saw her," Jag shook his head in frustration, "I don't know if she made it or not."

Telma eyed Jag and then turned to Britna, "You need to get some sleep while you can. The masters will be here soon."

Ani sat at the breakfast table, flimsy and drawing materials scattered around her. Davin sat next to her, concentrating on his own picture. Syal was chopping vegetables in the kitchen.

Jacen entered the room, followed by Jaina and Cem. They had just returned from the military base.

"Hi, you two. What are you up to?" Jaina asked as she placed a kiss on each child's head.

"Coloring," Ani answered.

"I made a Clawcraft," Davin said, holding up his picture, "Like what Daddy flew."

"That's right. He did," Cem said, "It looks great, Dav."

"Thanks, Uncle Cem!" Davin exclaimed.

"What are you drawing, Ani?" Jaina asked.

"Grandpa Han's ship," she said, "He said every time Davin makes an Imp ship I got to draw a Rebel one."

Jaina, Jacen, Cem and Syal burst out laughing. None of them was surprised at the statement. It sounded as if it was coming right of his mouth rather than his granddaughter's.

Ani and Davin exchanged confused looks. Sometimes adults just didn't make sense.

Britna followed Jag around the villip field, listening attentively to his instructions. Her implant on the back of her neck was sending painful pulses down her spine, making it difficult to bend over.

"It changes each day. Pay close attention to what you're doing and the handlers will usually leave you alone. They tend to rotate our group to various locations. Tomorrow we could be in the lambet fields or hauling equipment for the shapers," Jag told her as they trended through the waist-high water. "Never show any weakness."

Britna nodded, and then asked, "Are we on a planet?"

Jag nodded, "For now. I anticipate we'll be moving soon. I heard the shapers talking about a new shipment of slaves coming here. Our group is a pet project."

"What do you mean?" Britna asked as she tended to the villip next to her.

"The Vong took around two million slaves and split us into groups. Shapers are using this group to improve their implants on workers. Wherever the Shapers go, we go," Jag explained. He pointed to the various scars on his arms and face, "Most of these are from failed implants."

Britna let out a low whistle, "This one hurts like hell. How did you stand all of those?"

Jag shrugged, "You get used to it. After the first ten, the rest are a breeze. You learn to deal with the pain."

"Do they try to shape anyone? I heard about the Jedi on Yavin IV years ago," Britna asked.

"No. Occasionally though they'll throw out a new creature to mess with us," Jag responded, moving to the next villip.

"Do they torture us?" Britna asked quietly.

Jag looked up at her, "All the time. You'll get used to it."

The twenty slaves sat facing the wall, each secured with blorash jelly, in a large living transport. Six warriors stood guard. The slaves were contorted in a painful position for their species. The warriors stated they must travel in pain to atone for their infidel sins.

Telma glanced to her right at Britna. Her face was varying shades of blue and purple from the various bruises she'd acquired during her captivity. Her arms were locked behind her. Telma could see dried blood crusted around the woman's wrists from an amphistaff. One of the warriors had toyed with her before take-off. A shaper had thrown some type of living substance on her wrists to keep her from bleeding to death.

Jagged sat on the other side of Britna, eyes closed. He and Telma had been imprisoned the longest. Telma had to admire the man; he refused to give up. He'd told her little of his past, but she didn't need to ask. She knew who he was. She knew he had been a Colonel in the Chiss military. She knew he had married Jedi Knight Jaina Solo. She knew he had two children with her, the boy and an unborn daughter. They had never met, but Telma had been a member of a medical team on one of the many bases Jag had been stationed on.

Telma had lost her family long ago, save for one niece. Her niece, Luna, was heard last running a supply ship on the Outer Rim. Telma had hoped to meet with her to celebrate her lifeday, but was captured instead. Telma was the only Twi'lek slave at the moment. A few others had come and perished. Jag had commented that it was her own stubbornness that kept her alive. Telma had to agree. She'd seen a lot in the galaxy, but nothing like the Yuuzhan Vong. She refused to let them kill her, especially when she knew she could revolt in her own way. She worked to make the slaves stronger and unyielding to their masters. She and Jagged had formed some type of leadership team together, playing out each other's strengths to guarantee survival. Neither were naïve enough to think they would actually find freedom again, but to give up was against their nature.

Telma sat motionless as the living transport made the jump to hyperspace. She did not know where they were going. She'd lost track of the number of transfers she'd undertaken over the years. It was just another world, another ship to toil on until she died.  
They were all the same.

Emergency klaxons rang through the air of the main command center on Csilla. Military personnel rained in from various departments, rushing to battle stations.

"What do we have?" General Baron Soontir Fel asked as he approached a Chiss officer.

"Sir, a Yuuzhan Vong frigate has entered the edge of our systems. They show no sign of attack." He stated.

"Send the Red Squadron to investigate. Take no hostile action unless they initiate it," Soontir ordered. A-Wings designed to be hard to see in space.

"I want visual as soon as possible. Have the Ace and Spike Squadrons on stand-by," Soontir ordered.

It was a tense ten minutes as everyone waited for a clear transmission of the Vong vessel. Jaina and Jacen, who had appeared shortly after the alarms sounded, stood at a terminal to the side of the room, staring intently at the screen.

There was a pop of static and then Red Three transmitted a projected image of the vessel. It was the size of a Victory-class Star Destroyer. It didn't appear to have coralskippers clinging to it, although at least twenty of them were acting as a guard.

"Jacen?" Jaina asked.

Jacen studied the image, and then replied, "It's a Shaper transport vessel."

Jaina nodded, and then turned to relay the information to Soontir. She made it halfway across the room before a spike of pain lanced through her. She froze, eyes growing wide. She dropped the comlink in her hand, not noticing as it clattered on the floor.

"Jaina?" Jacen asked as he rushed over to her, "Jaina, what's wrong? Are the kids okay?"

Soontir moved to stand next to her, waiting worriedly for her response. She suddenly blinked, and then stared at Soontir.

"I have to go. Now." Jaina turned and ran from the room.

Jacen looked at Soontir, confused and then said, "I'll keep an eye on her, sir."

Jacen then turned and ran out the door to catch up with his sister, leaving a bewildered Soontir in his wake.

"Jaina, what is going on?" Jacen asked. He had finally caught up to Jaina inside a small armored freighter owned by the Galactic Alliance. She was in the cockpit, flipping switches and going through the pre-flight as fast as possible.

"Sit down and strap in she ordered, "I need your help."

"With what?" Jacen asked as he strapped into the co-pilot's chair.

Jaina ignored him. She toggled on the comm unit, "General Fel, we need to capture that vessel, not destroy it."

"Jaina, what is on that ship?" Fel asked.

"Your son."


	5. Chapter Three Part Two

**Chapter Three  
Part Two**

The slaves were rocked from side to side as blasts hit the ship. Four of the six guards had left the room, called to defend the ship.

Telma looked up at the warrior standing next to her. She had a pack of arsensalts on his right side, closest to one of her unsecured lekku.

The ship lurched. Britna gasped as she was jostled around. She'd been tortured a mere ten minutes ago. Her restraints were still hardening.

"Britna," Telma hissed, "Can you break free?"

Britna looked at her with wide, scared eyes. Blood trickled from a scalp wound down to her left eye. She nodded her head slowly, and then winced with pain. She slowly began to pull at the restraints as the ship bounced around.

Telma took several deep breaths. She'd known she had Force potential, but never trained. She didn't know if she possessed enough control to do what she was about to do, but she had to try. Telma slapped the warrior's leg with her right lek. He jerked. She pictured the pouch on his leg and grasped it with her mind. It jiggled. She concentrated harder, jerking it free. She sent it wildly across the cabin.

"Jeedai!" the warrior spat, grabbing her lek and pulling up. Telma bit back a scream.

Britna managed to loosen her bonds enough to scoot along the floor and snatch the arsensalts. The blorash jelly blobs were wiggling around her, trying to hold her down. She opened the bag and threw the salt on her bonds, and then passed the bag on.

The other warrior grabbed her by the back of the throat, squeezing tightly. The rest of the slaves quickly dissolved their bonds and tried to find a way to aid their comrades.

The ship rolled as the pilot avoided a laser blast, knocking everyone off his or her feet. The warrior clutching Britna lost his grip. As they rolled, the Wookiee slave managed to knock the warrior into the living wall, rendering him unconscious.

Telma's warrior held on tightly. She could feel his clawed implants trying to rip the lek from her head. She let out a scream as the warrior tore off a large chunk as he fell away from her. Blood ran down her back. She stared at Britna, who had fallen next to her.

"Telma!" Britna gasped.

"Get his…staff," she ground out in pain. Britna nodded, and then scrambled to the fallen warrior, only to find him incapacitated. During the commotion, neither female had noticed that the ship had ceased movement.

Britna looked up from her spot on the floor. A man with dark brown hair stood over the fallen warrior, an emerald green lightsaber blade casting an eerie glow over the room.

He turned his head and called over his shoulder, "They're in here."

Jaina irritably slipped on the cognition hood of the stolen vessel. Between the three squadrons, they'd been able to take out the coralskippers and secure the vessel.

Unfortunately, Jaina was the only one who knew how to pilot a living vessel effectively. She snapped for one of the soldiers standing next to her to tell everyone to hold on tight.  
Jaina flew the ship towards Csilla. Her husband was in the slave hold, she could sense him. She hadn't seen him in four years and she was forced to wait until they landed. Taking the vessel had been fairly easy. The boarding party was able to take down or capture the few warriors and multiple Shapers aboard the vessel quickly, or so she had heard. She'd been forced to sit in the cockpit.

The vessel landed twenty minutes later. The docking bay was empty, except for a team of Chiss commandos waiting to board and take the prisoners to a secure facility. The shapers had been stripped of their adornments, but could not be trusted. A medical team waited to take the slaves to the nearby military hospital for examination, slave-seed extraction and treatment.

Two soldiers lowered the ramp. The slaves were escorted out, with Jacen following, a severely wounded Twi'lik in his arms. As they exited the ship, the commandos ran inside to take the prisoners. The medical team rushed forward and whisked the slaves to their transports, ignoring Jacen's request that Jag stay behind. Jacen handed the Twi'lik to a medic and waited for his sister to leave the ship.

Jaina rushed out, glaring at the medical transport as it whisked away.

"You couldn't have stalled them?" she snapped, and then looked worried, "Is he okay?"

"He's fine. I didn't tell him you were here. I doubt he even knows who I am, anyways," Jacen told her as they walked towards the door to the parking bay that held several speeders, "The medics won't let anyone near them until the slave seeds are gone."

"He wouldn't hurt me," Jaina stated as she climbed in the driver's side door of the closest military landspeeder. She swiped her ID into the ignition lock and started it. Jacen was still fastening his belt when she took off.

Jagged Fel couldn't believe where he was. Not only was he free from the Yuuzhan Vong, but he was on Csilla. He had no idea how this had happened. He had known the Chiss had entered the war; several slaves had brought in that information. What amazed him was how integrated outsiders seemed to be with the military. Right now, a human doctor was removing his slave seed, taking samples and scanning him for spores.

"Is Telma, the Twi'lik, going to make it?" he asked.

"She's in surgery now," the doctor replied, "Friend of yours?"

"Yes."

Jag could hear arguing outside his door. He could not distinguish the words, but he could tell it was a female and two males. The female sounded particularly agitated.

The doctor sighed as he glanced at his beeping comm. He excused himself and exited the room.

Jag rubbed his hand over the back of his neck where the slave seed had been implanted. A bacta patch was covering the spot. He was underweight and needed a haircut. He'd been able to keep his hair from growing too long by cutting it with a living harvesting knife, but it hadn't done a neat job. He wanted a shower.

He wanted to find out what had happened to his wife and children.

The door opened. The doctor stepped back inside, "Normally I strongly advise against any visitations so soon after rescue but I've been ordered to allow it."

The doctor stepped back out the room. A brown-haired blur raced in, knocking the doctor out of the room. The door closed behind her, leaving the two alone.

Jaina stopped short of the table Jag sat on. Her left hand was over her mouth as her hand reached attentively out to him.

"J-Jag?" she said, voice shaking.

He nodded and slid off the table. He grabbed her hand, clasping it in his own and pulled her to him. Both clung to each other; relief, joy, sadness, love, elation radiating off each other. Shoulders shook with sobs. Tears soaked shirts. Jaina looked up to face Jag, hands tracing his face and neck, as if she was trying to make sure he was real. His lips descended upon hers, capturing her with slow, passionate kiss.

The landspeeder pulled up to the Fel estate. After a jubilant reunion with his father, Jag had insisted on going straight home to see his two children. Soontir, Jacen, Jaina and Jag climbed into Soontir's landspeeder and traveled to the estate.

Jaina had insisted on entering first. She needed to prepare Davin and Ani. She squeezed Jag's hand before slipping out of the speeder and taking the garage exit to the house. Jag climbed out, eyes darting around the hanger/garage. Everything looked as it had years ago.  
Jag glanced at Jacen nervously. He'd only just met his brother-in-law. Jag had to wonder what horrors Jacen had endured under the Yuuzhan Vong captivity and how he escaped. At the moment, however, he didn't have time to dwell on such thoughts. He was concerned about what his children would think. Would Davin remember him? Was he angry? Would Ani be receptive to him or treat him like the stranger he was?

"Relax," Jacen said quietly.

Jag nodded absently, but couldn't relax. He'd been waiting for this moment for years. He'd feared this moment for years.

Three adult figures raced out of the house and towards Jag. Syal made it first, throwing her arms around her lost son, tears of joy streaming down her careworn face. No sooner had Syal slightly loosened her grip did Wynssa and Cem embrace their brother.

Cem was the first to back away. He said, "Jaina said to tell you to come inside."

Jag nodded as an onslaught of nerves hit him. Syal, sensing her son's anxiety, reached out and squeezed his hand. He smiled gratefully, took a deep breath and walked toward the house.

Davin was bouncing up and down on the couch in the den. His daddy was back! He could hardly contain his excitement. His mom had said that his dad would be coming in the room any minute now.

Ani was seated next to Jaina, fidgeting. She was confused. She knew who her father was, of course. He was Jagged Fel. He was a pilot. She didn't know him, though. She'd never known him. She was scared of what he would be like. She was scared he wouldn't like her. She was scared she wouldn't like him, which would make her mommy sad.

"Ani, it'll be okay," Jaina said softly, caressing her hair. She stopped and looked toward the doorway. Jag entered the room slowly, not taking his eyes off Davin and Ani. Upon seeing him, Davin jumped off the couch and tackled his father. Jag knelt down to capture the boy before he hit his legs. Davin and Jag clung to each other tightly. When Jag finally loosened his hold enough to stare at him son, Davin spoke.

"Daddy, I took care of Mommy and Ani while you were gone."

"I'm proud of you, Davin," Jag said with a thick voice. Davin wriggled down from Jag's grasp, took his hand and pulled him to the couch.

Davin looked at his sister and said, "Ani, this is our daddy. Remember? Uncle Cem told us all about him."

Ani gave Davin and Jaina a look of uncertainty that broke both parents' hearts. Davin nodded to his sister encouragingly.

Jag knelt down in front of his daughter. Her brown hair was curly, like his mother's. She had pale green eyes and Jaina's face. She was beautiful.

"Hello, Ani," he said gently, waiting for her to make the first move.

Ani studied him, and then slowly slid of the couch. She studied Jag for a few moments, smiled and then hugged him saying. "You feel like Davin said you would."

Later that night, Jag sat on the bed in Jaina's- his and Jaina's- room. Davin was seated next to him, demonstrating the proper method to draw a Clawcraft. Ani was cuddle up against his other side, eyes half-open.

Jaina walked in the room and smiled at the sight. It was a picture she'd only dreamed of.  
"Okay, kids, it's time for bed," she said, drawing groans.

"Will Daddy be here tomorrow?" Davin asked.

"Yes, of course," Jaina answered, "Now come on. You have school tomorrow, Davin."

Davin pouted as he slid off the bed, "Do I have to go?"

"Yes, your father has to go into work with me tomorrow. Then you can spend the whole evening with him," Jaina told him while Jag slid off the bed, carrying an almost sleeping Ani.

"Okay," Davin mumbled. He stalked into his room and prepared for bed with little fuss. Jaina had to awake Ani and assist her throughout the process. Finally, both children were settled in their beds. Ani had already fallen back asleep.

As Jag walked away from Davin's bed, the young boy snatched his hand.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Davin?"

"I'm glad your home."

"Me too son, me too."

The hour was late. Moonlight reflected off the snowy landscape. Jacen Solo stared out the window into the night, as he usually did. He couldn't remember what it felt like to sleep an entire night.

He turned his head as he heard a noise. His brother –in-law entered the room. His eyes expressed the surprise that Jacen did not feel.

"It never goes away," Jacen said, knowing why the other man was here.

Jag nodded, "I hope Telma made it. I was told she was rushed into surgery, and then dumped in a bacta tank."

"A friend?"

"She was there almost as long as I was," Jag explained, "We worked together to help the others."

Jacen nodded, "I'm sure she'll be okay."

They lapsed in silence, staring at the landscape. A lone bird flew over the snowy landscape, casting a brief shadow on the otherwise perfect ground.

"How did you do it?" Jag asked suddenly, "How did you manage to integrate yourself back into normal life?"

"I never managed to, completely," Jacen responded, "Ani actually helped me get things back on track though."

"She did?" Jag asked, curious.

Jacen nodded, "She was only a year old but she clung to me. I suppose she brought light in the dark."

"It's remarkable," Jag mused, "She's nothing and everything like I imagined. With Davin, I had a general idea, but Ani was a complete mystery. I wasn't even sure if that was her name."

"Jaina told me she didn't want to change it," Jacen responded.

"We weren't completely sure," Jag explained. He ran a hand over the back of his neck. He had removed the bandage a couple hours earlier. One more scar wouldn't make much difference. Jag noticed various scars on Jacen's face and forearms.

"Tomorrow you'll undergo a debriefing and psychological analysis. The doctors will tell you ways to recover from post-traumatic stress. They'll want you to explain what you went through. You can't. No one can. What the Yuuzhan Vong do to captives isn't in the books. There's no way to understand it. I spent years with the Yuuzhan Vong, learning their culture. I still do not understand every aspect. The only person who truly understands the Yuuzhan Vong is Tahiri Veila," Jacen stated, "And even she can't explain enough to stop the questions. Everyone wants to know about it but they shouldn't. It's too horrific to press on others."

Jag did not respond. He didn't need to. He understood what Jacen was telling him. He never believed that he would recover from his captivity.

Did anyone really recover from captivity?  
-


	6. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**  
Telma had a pounding headache. She opened her eyes slowly. She remembered everything that had happened. She was in a hospital, somewhere. She could taste bacta on her lips. She guessed that at least three days had passed since her rescue.

"I see you are awake," a male medic said.

"H-" Telma started to say, but her throat was too dry to speak. The medic handed her a cup of water with a straw. She took a sip, and then spoke.

"What's my diagnosis?"

The medic raised an eyebrow, but answered, "We were able to save your lek. It's unclear if you have any permanent damage. You may be happy to know that your implant was removed."

Telma nodded and said, "Thank you."

The medic began doing several tests, checking her motor skills, sight, hearing, dexterity and mental skills. He gave her a shot to ease her headache. After her exam determined everything was well Telma was left alone with a tray of food.

"How are you feeling?" a voice called from the doorway.

Telma looked up. She smiled at Jag and beckoned him to come in.

"Fine. I see you aren't confined to a bed," she responded with a smirk.

"No," he answered as he sat in the chair by her bed. "We were lucky; we didn't lose anyone."

"Good," Telma said. "Where are we?"

"Csilla."

"Oh?"

"They're all here," Jag said, answering her unspoken question. "Jaina and the kids."

"How are they?"

"Good," Jag responded. "The military is waiting for a clearance from the medics to question you. They want to know everything."

Telma shrugged and said, "What did you tell them?"

"Nothing they wanted to hear. Nothing that would win the war," Jag told her, "You're the last one to be questioned."

"How are the others?"

"As well as you could expect. The Galactic Alliance has a program to try to help captives find their families. Most are leaving in two days." Jag removed a datapad from his pocket. He turned it on and handed it to her. "I thought you might want to see this. It has some information on the current political and military situation."

Telma waved it away. "It makes little difference to me. After I get out of here, I plan to continue working as a surgeon and only need to know where I'm needed most."

"Whoever you work for will be lucky to have you," Jag responded, taking the datapad and placing it on the nightstand by Telma's bed.

"What about you?" she asked.

Jag shrugged, "I'm not sure."

Telma and Jag spoke for couple more minutes, until a nurse chased out him. Telma sat silently as the nurse changed the various fluid bags in her IV. Exhaustion overcame her, and she sank back into the pillows to sleep.

A raw scream ripped through the night air. The brunette woman sat up, sweat pouring down her face. Somehow, her screams did not wake the other two beings in the room. She stumbled out of her borrowed bed and pulled her boots on. She palmed the front door open and ran into the hallway. She continued to run down the hallways, vaguely aware of Chiss guards staring at her.

Britna did not know where she was going. She ran until she couldn't breathe. She collapsed against a wall and felt her body slide to the ground.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Britna looked up to see the Jedi that had saved her standing over her. She shook her head slowly. He sat next to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm Jacen," he said.

"Britna."

"You want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

"I-I don't know. Some of the others have trouble sleeping. I can fall asleep, but I keep feeling their whips cracking against my back. I keep hearing the screams of others being tortured," she said, eyes filling with tears. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry."

Jacen shook his head and said, "Don't be."

"It shouldn't affect me this much. I wasn't held captive long," she mumbled.

Jacen's lip quirked. "With the Yuuzhan Vong, the length of time ceases to matter. The first time I was a captive, I was only there for half a day. It wasn't nearly as bad as my second go around, but it freaked me out pretty good."

"You were taken twice?" Britna asked in shock.

"The first time I was a stupid kid. I got myself captured. The second time, well, I guess I was still a stupid kid. I trusted the wrong person," Jacen explained.

"How long were you there? The second time, I mean."

"Years."

Something in Jacen's tone stopped her from asking any more about his captivity. Brtina closed her eyes and let her head hit the wall.

"Do you want to go back to your room?" Jacen asked quietly.

Britna nodded. Jacen tugged her hand to help her stand. She smiled gratefully at him as she pulled away. Jacen walked with her back to her room.

"Thank you, Jacen," she said and then entered her room. She felt marginally better.  
Perhaps she could sleep tonight.

The night was quiet on the ice-covered planet. Off in the distance, three Clawcraft flew into a hanger, returning from their night patrol. Light reflected off the snow, casting a glow over the landscape. The glow streamed into the bedroom window.

Two slender arms wrapped around Jag's torso from behind. He turned to face Jaina and stared into her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"Thinking about the future."

"What about it?"

"Bringing the children to Csilla was exactly what you needed to do. Now that I'm back though, I think we need to move to the frontline. At least I do. I won't make the decision for you," Jag told her as he went to sit on the edge of the bed.

Jaina slowly sat down next to him, biting her lip. She asked, "You want to leave the children?"

"Of course not!" he stated. "The last thing I want to do is miss any more of their lives. I just can't…I can't sit around while others are suffering."

"I understand. I think we should go, too. It's something that I've been thinking about for a while. Anyone can train pilots, but you and I are some of the best fighters in the galaxy. They need us," Jaina answered, "but the kids need us, too."

"I know, but I don't want them to grow up in a galaxy where they have to hide," Jag explained. He took her hand and added, "We should take them to the Jedi. My parents will protect Davin and Ani with their lives, but without a Jedi here, they are at a higher risk."  
Jaina was quiet for a few minutes. Her eyes shifted from his face to stare outside. He waited patiently for her to speak. He knew how hard it would be for her to leave Ani and Davin.

"You're right," Jaina said at last.

Jacen's ship was packed. Jaina, Jag, Ani, Davin and Jacen were leaving Csilla. Syal and Soontir were seeing them off. Telma, who had finally been released from the medward, was with them.

"This is my friend Telma," Jag said to Ani and Davin. They were standing near the ramp of Jacen's ship. Ani buried her face in Jag's shoulder while Davin reached out to shake the Twi'lek's hand.

"Where you with my Daddy?" he asked.

"Yes," she responded with a smile.

"Ani, sweetheart, say hi. She won't hurt you," Jaina said quietly. Ani mumbled a rushed "hi" and hid her face again.

"Daddy says you are going with us to the Shelter," Davin stated.

Telma glanced at Jag. She was accompanying him and Jaina to the main Galactic Alliance base. She did not know if Davin knew that he and his sister were being left with the Jedi.

Davin tugged on her hand and gestured for her to kneel down. He whispered on her ear, "I know you're going to the base and we have to stay at the Shelter. It makes Ani sad to hear it."

Telma smiled at the boy. She nodded, "I understand."

"It's time to go," Jaina reminded everyone, "Ani, Davin, it's time to say goodbye."

Jaina took Ani from Jag. With Davin following, she walked over to Syal and Soontir. Jag watched as his children said tearful goodbyes to their grandparents. Jaina also said her goodbyes and then took the children inside the ship.

"I'll see you inside," Telma said with a tip of her head and turned to board the ship. Jag walked over to his parents.

Syal hugged her son tightly. She whispered into his ear, "Promise me you'll be careful."

"I will," Jag promised. Soontir pulled his son into a tight, quick hug. After Soontir released him, Jag turned and walked up the ramp, hoping that he would one day return.


	7. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**  
Tendrils wrapped around ribs and organs. Jolts of pain raced through the tendrils. Screams echoed through his brain; whether they were his screams or someone else's, he did not know. He began to feel anger, distress, anxiety and hatred surrounding him. It dulled the pain in his chest. The swirling emotions threatened to overtake him. His vision turned into a swirling chaos, sucking him into an emotional abyss.

Brown eyes snapped open. He took a deep breath, and then another. The pain in his chest disappeared but pain did not bother him; it was the screams.

Jacen slid from the bed in his cabin and sat on the floor in a meditative state to work to center himself. His empathetic nature was both a blessing and a curse. He knew exactly what he had been dreaming of. The group of slaves Jacen had worked so hard to keep alive were being slaughtered by low ranking warriors. The Vong were under strict orders to leave Jacen alone. A small Twi'lek girl had ran to him and gripped his hand, blood oozing from her head, arms and hands. She pleaded for help, but there was nothing he could do. He was trapped; forced to watch the slaughters by his captors. Nom Anor had had Jacen secured to the ground with blorash jelly and living restraints. Jacen was unable to free himself.

He had felt each one die, each individual's agony.

Jacen reached deep into the Force, searching for unattainable peace. He tried to wrap the threads of the Force around him to make a protective cloak, but nothing worked.

He opened his eyes and stood. Peace would not come tonight; it rarely did. He grabbed his boots and shoved them on. He left his room and walked through the hold and into the cockpit. He paused in slight surprise when he saw Jag and Telma seated in the co-pilot and navigator chairs, respectively. He slid past them and sat in the pilot's chair.

"Good evening, Jacen," Jag greeted with a nod. "Telma and I were just discussing the information the scientists on Csilla had gathered about the slave seeds."

Jacen unconsciously rubbed his chest were his seed once resided as he responded, "How does their report match your experiences?"

"Oh, the facts seem close enough. I'm curious to see what type of research is at the base, though," Telma said. "Who leads the research?"

"Danni Quee," Jacen answered. "She was a Yuuzhan Vong captive at the start of the war. She'll be excited to talk to you."

"Is Tahiri assisting her?" Jag asked.

"She usually only helps if Danni hits a bad snag; mainly when there's a language barrier," Jacen explained.

Jacen glanced at the countdown on the console. They would be arriving at the first entrance of the Maw soon. They'd already made two stops to ensure the ship had not been followed.

"There has to be a way to use this information to fight the war," Telma mused.

Jacen shrugged, "If you have any ideas, let Danni know. They're always looking for new plans."

Jacen tuned out the rest of Telma and Jag's conversation. He closed his eyes and reached out to his sister to wake her. He had made the trip into the Maw countless times, but he knew Jaina would rather pilot them in. It would also act as a small release from the anxiety she was currently feeling.

In addition, Jacen knew he'd never hear the end of it if he didn't execute the route perfectly.

"Ben!" Davin shrieked as he ran down the ramp. Ben put his hands on his hips and gave Davin a scolding look that could only be attributed to Mara Jade Skywalker. Davin skidded to a halt and smiled sheepishly at his cousin.

"We can't run, Davin," Ben scolded.

Davin mumbled an apology and then Ben hugged him. Behind Ben, Tionne and Kam Solusar and Han and Leia stood waiting.  
"Grandma Leia! Grandpa Han!" Davin said, scampering towards his grandparents.

Almost immediately, Ani escaped from Jacen's grasp as he walked down the ramp. Determined not to be forgotten, Ani greeted Han and Leia enthusiastically.

Two blond-headed blurs raced through the group. They crashed into Jag's legs as he stepped off the ramp. Syal and Myri Antilles gave loud, joyous squeals as they greeted their lost cousin. Jag hugged them and led them back down the ramp.  
It took twenty more minutes for the greetings to end and the ship to be unloaded. Leia and Han had been overjoyed to see their son-in-law alive and well.

It was late afternoon by the time the Fels were able to settle in their temporary quarters. Exhausted from the day's activities, Ani fell asleep on the couch within moments of sitting on it. Jag moved her to one of the bedrooms.

"Mama?" Davin asked from the couch.

"Yes, sweetie?" Jaina asked from the small table in the room.

"How long will you and Daddy be gone?"

"I'm not sure," Jaina answered slowly.

"Ben says his mommy and daddy visit lots," Davin said as he slid off the couch and walked over to her. He climbed onto her lap. "Will you visit me and Ani?"

"Of course," Jaina told him. She kissed the top of his head. "We will come see you as much as you can."

Davin nodded and said, "I'll take good care of Ani."

"I know you will," Jaina said with a smile. "You're a good big brother."

Telma followed Jacen through the Jedi base. After awkward introductions to the Solos and the Jedi, Jacen had insisted Telma meet someone.

They approached a plain, grey metal door. Jacen pressed the intercom and a second later, the door opened. Jacen led Telma into an odd-looking room. The carpet was green and soft. A purplish blob sat in one corner of the room. It looked alive. A droid was slumped in one corner. A strange glow was coming from another corner.

"Jacen!"

A young woman with long, curly blond hair appeared in the room. She embraced Jacen tightly. As she pulled back, Telma could see three vertical lines on her forehead. She also noted that the woman was barefoot and had a tattoo winding around her right wrist. It looked like some type of snake; its head ending on her middle finger tip around the nail.

"Tahiri, this is Telma. She's a doctor who was with Jag," Jacen introduced, "Telma, this is Tahiri Veila."

"I take it he's told you about me?" Tahiri responded as she shook Telma's hand. Her sleeve rode up slightly, showing that her tattoo wound up her arm.

"A little," Telma said.

"I got your message, Jacen," Tahiri said to Jacen. "I assume you don't know what all Telma saw. Just describe everything you remember to me, Telma. I can probably identify it. Oh, Jacen, how are Ani and Davin? Did Davin remember Jag? How does Ani do with him?"

Telma shifted her gaze from Jacen to Tahiri. She'd never heard someone talk that fast. Jacen had only told her that the Yuuzhan Vong tried to turn Tahiri into one of them by placing false memories in her mind. She had experienced something that sounded like a split-personality disorder. He had explained that the two parts in her brain had fought each other and somehow had combined.

Jacen burst out laughing, "Tahiri, slow down."

Tahiri grinned, "Sorry."

"Everyone's fine, don't worry," Jacen reassured.

"I'd be interested in identifying what the Vong used," Telma told her.

"Yuuzhan Vong. We can talk about it now, if you want, or we can do it later," she answered.

"I suppose now would be fine. I don't have anything to do until we leave," Telma responded.

"Have a seat," Tahiri said, pointing to the lumpy object. "Let's get started."

The clash of lightsabers sizzled through the air. A blue blade connected with a green blade. Half a second later, the green flipped away from the blue to connect with another green. A snap-hiss was heard as another blade joined the fray, this one violet in color. The violet blade met the blue one.

Jysella Horn breathed heavily as Jaina knocked her to the floor. She sprang up, only to be intercepted by Tahiri's green blade. Jaina had gone after Jacen. After a series of attacks, Tahiri knocked Jysella's blade from her hand. Tahiri gave Jysella a mock-salute with her lightsaber hilt, which Jysella returned as she stood up. Half of Tahiri's hair had fallen out of her band. She pushed it out of the way to watch the activity on the other side of the room.

Jacen and Jaina were locked in a fast-paced duel. Their green and violet blades created a whirlwind of color. They were evenly matched, it appeared. Jaina used a more aggressive, tactical fighting style while Jacen's was more fluid and almost artistic. Jacen swung low; Jaina intercepted. Jaina twisted to attack his side and Jacen leapt out of the way. They continued the dance until Jacen found Jaina's blade stopped at his neck and Jaina found Jacen's at her hip.

They distinguished their blades and clipped them to their belts. Brother and sister walked over to Tahiri and Jysella.

"You've gotten better," Jacen told Jysella.

Jysella smiled wryly, "I would hope so. Dad sparred with Valin and me like crazy when he was here."

"How is Valin?" Jacen asked.

"Good. He really likes working with Master Skywalker," she answered. Valin was was apprenticed to Luke Skywalker. With the low number of Jedi Masters available, Luke had offered to take on Valin.

The four exited the practice room. Tahiri and Jysella walked off towards their separate rooms. Jacen and Jaina walked down the corridor.

"Glad to see you haven't lost your edge," Jacen commented.

Jaina glared at him, "What do you mean?"

Jacen smirked, "Nothing."

"Do you want me to go beat you down?" Jaina said, stopping in her tracks.

"You lost," Jacen rebuffed.

"No I didn't," Jaina scoffed, and then said, "You're baiting me."

Jacen shook his head, "And you're using your 'Mom' tone."

Jaina rolled her eyes, "Anyways, Telma told Jag that Tahiri was able to fill in some of the blanks for her. They've put together a fairly in-depth report for Danni and her team."

"They're up to something," Jacen stated.

"No argument there. Whenever Ani and Davin aren't hanging off of him, he's talking with Telma," Jaina explained. "It's a little frustrating, actually."

"You are just annoyed that you don't know what's going on," Jacen pointed out.

She gave him an exasperated look and then glanced at her wrist chrono. "I've got to go. The kids should be finishing up their first lesson."

"They've already started?"

"I wanted them to have their first class when I was here. Davin can be a little stubborn," she explained.

"Zekk can handle it. After all, he had years of practice dealing with you." Jacen ducked as Jaina move to slug him. He twisted out of the way and rushed down the hall laughing.

Jag sank down wearily on the standard military issue bed in his and Jaina's room. Getting the children to bed had been overly eventful. Both Jag and Jaina had to promise that they would still be there in the morning. Each mournful look Ani had given Jag broke his heart. It was unfair, he knew. He had hardly had time to get to know his children before he had to leave again. He knew he had to. He and Jaina had to help end this war. Based on the information he'd learned, the breaking point would come soon. Jag knew they would need an edge if they wanted to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong.

Jaina entered the room. She sat down on the other side of the bed. He felt the thin mattress sink slightly as she lay down. He settled down next to her, and then pulled her close. Heavy silence filled the room. She began to run her fingers along the thin scars on his arm. He couldn't remember where each came from. Immature amphistaffs, villip vines, lambet casings, whippings, injuries and more had created a disorganized set of lines across his body. Jaina's fingers had ran over each scar the first night they'd been together after his return. She'd had her own new markings as well. There was a small circle on her right shoulder from welding burn; a thin jagged line on her left index finger from broken glass; a thick mark on her left knee from crashing in a staircase; and diamond-shaped splotch on the back of her hand from a burn.

Their physical scars paled to the mental and emotional scars. Jag could remember each being that had died. Odds were high that their families, if still alive, had believed they were dead. How could they not? Even his family had held little hope for his return. Hope was exhausting. It brought so much disappointment and despair when it did not follow through. You could only hope so long before it wore you down. The slaves did not hope for rescue. Many wished for death. Many wondered why they had been spared death, only to perform tasks to help the enemy. There were some slaves who still held their inner fire. They wanted to escape, to stop the fighting in any possible way.

Jag wanted to capture that essence. As his father had told him years ago, once you fight for so much of your life, it's all you know. It becomes like breathing. Jag did not want Ani and Davin to grow up like that. He knew that within most of the millions of Yuuzhan Vong captives a fighting spirit remained. Beings like Telma, ones who had lead normal lives until the war, were everywhere. Jag was no fool. He'd been born into a strong legacy. Baron Soontir Fel was known throughout the galaxy as the best TIE fighter pilot. His children would be held to that image. For once, that concept of birthright was abolished by this war. The death of Anakin Solo had shown the galaxy that death knew no bloodlines. It took from everyone. It didn't matter who you were: Solo, Skywalker, Jedi, Hapan royalty, wealthy; none were protected.

The spirit of the galaxy wasn't just in the military or the Jedi. It wasn't in the politicians. It was in the people fighting day to day, hour to hour, to survive.

Those were the people who would win this war. The question was, Jag thought to himself, how would they do it?  
===


	8. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Jag had missed the military.

He missed the strict discipline. He missed the chain of command. He missed the crisp uniforms.

He did not, however, miss the pointless regulations. Upon their arrival at the Galactic Alliance mobile base at Bespin, Jaina had immediately been enlisted into the Crux Squadron, an elite group of fighter pilots. Within two hours, Jaina had already begun to modify her new X-Wing to her liking. Jag had not been so lucky. The medical tests he received on Csilla were not enough for the Galactic Alliance chain of command. He'd been put through various physical and medical tests. He'd undergone psychological examinations. The only emotion the doctor had managed to evoke from Jag had been annoyance. He'd undergone flight simulation tests and evolutions. He'd finally been cleared and had been given a spot in the Grey Squadron, a fairly talented squadron.

Jaina had waited a whole three minutes after hearing the news before pointing out that Jag would be flying an X-Wing. Jag had just brushed off her teasing. He enjoyed hearing her laugh. In the two days they had been on base, Jaina's moods had ranged from angry to depressed to annoyed. Upon leaving the Shelter, she had spent most of the voyage locked in one of the cabins. She had acted uncharacteristically cheery any time she'd left the room. When they were alone, she'd been quiet. Jag knew what was wrong. He'd felt similar emotions ever since leaving the children.

- Show quoted text -

Jag glanced up from the datapad he was supposed to be reading. Jaina was drying her hair with a towel as she exited the refresher. She caught his glance and gave him a weak smile. To say their relationship had been a bit awkward since his return would be an understatement. He loved her; there was no doubt there, but there were so many unanswered questions. They had both changed. She'd asked him questions that he couldn't answer. She had become so accustomed to acting alone that she wouldn't let him in. It was a battle he knew they would have to win.

Jag stood up from the couch and placed the datapad on the steel table against the wall. Jaina had put the towel the laundry bin by the refresher door. She moved to sit down on the bed, but Jag stopped her with a hand on her arm. He gently tugged her close to him. She stared at him, brown eyes swirling with emotions.

"What's wrong?" Jaina asked quietly.

Jag began to open his mouth, closed it and went to try again, but the words wouldn't come out. He wanted to tell her it would be okay. He wanted to tell her that Ani and Davin were fine and they would see them again soon. He wanted to tell her it'd be over soon. He wanted to assure her that they could be happy again. He couldn't, though. He couldn't lie to her.

No matter how much he wanted to believe it.

So instead, he dropped a soft, quick kiss on her lips, nudged her off him, and then went to shower.

Jaina watched as the steel door to the refresher closed. She bit her lower lip as she sank onto the bed. Years ago, Jag had stopped blocking his mind from her senses. She had no doubt that his metal walls worked against other Jedi, but even when he tried to keep her out, she could still sense something was wrong. Jaina wasn't stupid. She knew that they could not go back to the way they were before. She had known he would be different. Jacen was a testament to this. He was more reserved, darker, and quieter than he had been before. The boy she had grown up with was gone. There were many times that Jaina couldn't reach him. She felt cut off from him much more than she was comfortable with. To think that Jag would be similarly unavailable set Jaina on edge.

In the two weeks since his return, Jag had behaved exactly how everyone had hoped he would. He had acted normal around his parents and siblings. He'd slipped back into the role of the perfect father and seemed to be the same loving husband. What he hadn't done was completely let Jaina in. He'd cared for her, touched her, but wouldn't talk to her. She didn't expect him to give her a complete detailed report of his captivity, but he wouldn't give even a hint as to what he'd gone through.

She didn't think he understood that she changed, too. She'd spent years alone. She'd done what was necessary for her two children. She'd grown up from that impulsive teenager who had joined the Rogue Squadron and married the first man she fell in love with. She had to become the woman she needed to be, working without a partner in both the field and in raising her children. She only prayed that she and Jag could overcome these roadblocks. It was as if they were two planets orbiting each other.

Jaina stretched out with the Force to her husband. Frustration boiled through his veins like fire. She pulled back, as if she'd been burned. She rubbed her eyes as she sank back onto the bed.

The door opened and Jag stepped out. He switched off the light and slipped into bed next to her. Jaina hesitated, and then rolled closer to him. She propped herself up on one elbow and peered at his face. A small beam of light streamed in through the tiny window on the opposite wall. She stared at his light green eyes, the eyes that haunted her every day for years. Jag reached out with one hand and caressed her cheek.

She touched her forehead to his and closed her eyes, "I love you. Don't ever forget that."

The Bespin base was the main military base for the Galactic Alliance. The Yuuzhan Vong had destroyed Cloud City; a complete mechanical city that defied gravity was seen as a massive abomination to them. The Vong had no use for the gas giant and there were no beings left to sacrifice or enslave. It was the perfect location for a base.

Jag and Jaina walked through one of the corridors leading to the hanger bay. Their conversation was light. Jag, having little experience flying with astromechs, was having problems with his droid. Jaina had insisted that she look at it rather than it be sent off to some mechanic, who she claimed, "Wouldn't know a thing about how a droid was supposed to work."

"You want your droid to have personality," she was saying.

"Like R2? No thank you. I've seen the fits he gives your uncle," Jag responded with a snort.

"You just want a Clawcraft back," Jaina responded with a knowing look.

"That droid needs a memory wipe."

"Who, R2?" Jaina asked, looking alarmed.

"No, mine."

"You can't. That will completely destroy its nature. You know, it would respond better if you gave it a name," Jaina said. "What's its number?"

"R7-D3."

"Hmm," Jaina thought, "let me think on that."

The sounds of X-Wings entering the hanger bay halted the conversation. Jag and Jaina watched as twelve X-Wings settled onto the duracrete floor. A wry smiled appeared on Jaina's face as a familiar presence appeared in the Force. She grabbed Jag's hand and pulled him towards the closest X-Wing.

"Well, well, well, Kyp Durron," Jaina said as Kyp dropped to the ground from his cockpit.

Kyp eyed her and responded with a grin, "Jaina Solo herself. Come to crack the whip? Are we not performing to your standards?"

Jaina shook her head in amusement, "Afraid not."

Kyp grinned, and then said, "Welcome back to the living, Fel."

Jag nodded, "Thank you."

"Have you two come to join our party?" Kyp asked.

"Looks that way," Jag responded.

"Where are the rugrats?"

Jaina's eyes flashed momentarily before responding in a clipped voice, "Shelter."

"Well, I better go find out where the squad is staying," Kyp said after a moment, aware of sudden tension that filled the air. He nodded goodbye and rushed away.

"Come on, Jag," Jaina snapped, "Let's go look at your droid."

_Clang! Clang!_ The hydrospanner smacked fuselage of the X-Wing. Jag muttered a curse as a piece of the paneling hit the ground. He bent down and picked up the part. He grumbled as he grabbed a welder from his utility belt. He switched it on and began to reattach the panel.

"X-Wing problems?" Kyp's voice called.

Jag glared at the older man. He finished welding the panel on the fuselage and put his tool away. He turned to face Kyp and said, "I want to thank you for a pleasant morning."

Kyp's brow furrowed, "What are you talking about?"

"This morning," Jag responded. He knew it wasn't really Kyp's fault that Jaina's somewhat good mood had been ruined. He hadn't meant any harm with his comment. But it caused the repair job to turn into a massive argument that resulted in Jaina storming off.

"Oh, in the hanger? What was that about?" Kyp asked as he crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the fighter.

"Never mind," Jag muttered.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Jag glared at Kyp. He yanked the hydrospanner from his belt with excessive force and turned to recalibrate the quad lasers.

"I take that as a yes."

"Go bother someone else, Kyp,"

"I actually came to ask you a favor," Kyp said.

"What?" Jag said as he continued working.

"I wanted to offer you a spot in my squadron."

"Your squadron?" Jag asked, giving Kyp a skeptical look over his shoulder.

"Yes. I lost my XO and I need a second-in-command to take over while I'm working with the Jedi," he explained.

"And you want me?" Jag responded, voice filled with doubt.

"I already talked to your uncle about it. The position is yours if you want it. We're officially stationed here," Kyp added.

"I'll think about it," Jag said slowly.

"Go ask Jaina and let me know," Kyp said with a smirk and walked off. Jag rolled his eyes and turned back to his X-Wing.

Being the second-in-command in Kyp's squadron was more appealing than his current position. He hadn't flown with his group yet, but he'd met them. They were decent, but their style was far too lax for him. He'd remembered mostly good things about working with Kyp in the Twin Suns years ago.

About an hour later, Jag heard footsteps approach him as he put away his tools. He turned to see Jacen approach. The man had an unreadable expression on his face.

"Hello, Jag," Jacen said with a nod.

"Hello, Jacen," he responded. "Is there a problem?"

"Aside from the beating I just received from my sister, no," Jacen responded. "A refugee ship came through about an hour ago. Two of them claimed they were captured for a while. Thought maybe you could help me check them out."

"Sure," Jag responded. "What do you want me to do?"

"Make them nervous. Give them that cocky, superior look. Go all Imperial on them," Jacen stated with a wry look.

Jag shook his head, "I'll see what I can do."

The two men on the refugee ship cracked in ten minutes. Their "captivity" had been a scuffle with the Peace Brigade. Jag had given the two men a dressing down an admiral would give a green recruit. The refugee ship refueled and took off for an unknown destination. Many refugee ships had become homes for displaced beings. Taking in refugees could be the death of a planet, a fact proved early in the war. Occasionally a refugee ship would stumble upon a base and resupply, but the military couldn't afford to help the needy beings all the time.

"I hear you are joining Kyp's squadron," Jacen said as he and Jag walked away from the conference room they'd used for questioning.

"I haven't decided," Jag responded, not surprised that Jacen knew.

"You'll do it."

Jag raised an eyebrow and said, "Is that so?"

Jacen nodded, "Now tell me what you did to rile up my sister. She hasn't sparred that hard in a while."

"It wasn't me, it was Kyp," Jag muttered.

"Big surprise there," he snorted.

Jag glanced at his wrist chrono, "She should be on patrol right now."

"What did he do?" Jacen asked.

Jag waved off his comment, "He asked where the kids were. "

"Ah," Jacen responded.

"Never mind," Jag said. Jacen was about to say something else, but his comlink went off. He answered it and then turned to leave.

"You'll have to tell Wedge about that ship. I have to go," Jacen said and took off down the hallway. Jag nodded and continued to his uncle's office.

Jaina stumbled towards her quarters. It was late and she was exhausted. Her patrol had gone over an additional two hours. As she entered the room, she could see Jag standing in front of the small window with his hands clasped behind his back. She braced herself for the onslaught that was sure to come. Their argument that morning, which had been about nothing but pointless bickering, had been plaguing her all day.

Jaina removed her boots. She tugged off her flight suit and threw it in the laundry bin. She looked irritably at Jag. If Jaina was honest with herself, she wasn't truly mad at him. She wasn't even angry with herself. She was frustrated and felt like a failure as a mother. She didn't mean to take it out on Jag or anyone else, but she couldn't prevent the irritation from leaking out.

She stood up and started to walk to the refresher. A hand grabbed her upper arm and spun her around. She found Jag staring at her intently. He cupped her chin in his hand.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, too," she responded. His lips descended upon hers. Her hands gripped the front of his shirt as he reached behind her head and removed the tie holding her hair. He held her against him for a few more moments, before moving from her lips. He rested his forehead on hers and said, "I don't want to fight anymore."

Jaina nodded and kissed him again, this time slow and sweet.

"I need to get cleaned up," she mumbled as she pulled back.

"I'll be waiting," he responded and pushed her towards the refresher door. She felt slightly more optimistic than she had when she came home.


	9. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven **

Tahiri padded through the halls Shelter. She glanced down at Ani, who was skipping beside her. Ani's hair hung in two braids that bounced off her back. She wore a small Jedi robe that trailed on the floor.

"Gramma Leia's leaving," Ani said. "Grandpa Han doesn't like Bespin."

"No, probably not," Tahiri said with a chuckle.

"Why did you color your arm?" Ani asked, looking at Tahiri's tattoo on her wrist and arm.

"To express my personality," Tahiri responded simply. She had picked up several quirks from the implanted personality of the Yuuzhan Vong identity Riina. While she hadn't gone so far as to mutilate herself, she had taken to tattooing. In addition to the one on her arm, she had one on her right calf, upper back and left foot.

"I get in twouble if I color my arm," Ani mumbled.

Tahiri chuckled, "This won't come off. It's not that same as when you color."

Ani looked perplexed by this. Tahiri smiled at the girl, and then said, "We're here."

Ani made a face at the door in front of her, "I don't wanna go."

Tahiri knelt down to the girl's level. She rested a hand on her shoulder, "You have to go to class, Ani. Your Mommy and Daddy want you to learn how to use your Force skills."

Ani crossed her arms over her chest and furrowed her brow, "No. Don't wanna."

Tahiri sighed. She'd promised Jaina that she would help keep an eye on Ani and Davin. That morning she had picked up Ani from Tionne and Kam's rooms. She was too young to attend the more advanced lessons.

"Why don't you want to go?" Tahiri asked gently.

"Boring," she mumbled.

"Ani, tell the truth," Tahiri said sternly.

Ani bit her lower lip as it began to tremble. Her eyes filled with tears, "Miss Mama."

"Oh Ani," Tahiri pulled Ani into her arms. "Sweetie, your Mama misses you, too, but she needs you to learn how to be a Jedi. It will keep you safe. She has to do important work so you and Davin can live with your parents again."

"But she stayed before," Ani cried in confusion.

Tahiri pursed her lips. She had no idea how she could explain the situation to a three-year-old. "Sometimes adults have to do things they don't like to do. Your Mom and Dad wish they could be here with you, but they have to stop the bad guys. Once the bad guys are gone, you can live with them again."

Tahiri swiped the tears from the girl's cheeks with her thumbs, "Do you understand?"

Ani nodded, sniffling, "Okay."

"Are you ready to go into class now? Davin and Ben are waiting for you."

"Okay," Ani said again. Tahiri opened the door. Ani slipped inside the room and sat down next to Davin. Tahiri waited a few moments to make sure Ani was okay, and then left the room.

"Tahiri, good, here you are," Kam said breathlessly. He was rushing down the corridor. "I need you to come to the docking bay."

"What's going on?" she asked as she walked quickly with him.

"The _Starflare, _Baron Fel's ship_, _arrived. It's seen some action. Soontir said they have some injured aboard," Kam explained. "I'm not sure why he brought them here."

Tahiri and Kam halted as the shuttle entered the docking bay. Battle scoring and dents marred it's once gleaming surface. It landed gracefully in the docking bay.

Tahiri and Kam stood quietly, waiting for the ramp to lower. Metallic clangs ran from inside the shuttle. Gradually, the ramp began to drop, struts groaning. Tahiri could see a large black mark on the right of the ramp, probably the cause of the ramp's problems.

The ramp fell to the ground with a clang. Syal and Soontir Fel rushed down the warped ramp. Smoke billowed from behind them. Soontir coughed as he waved the smoke from his face.

"We've got wounded aboard!" Soontir shouted. A medical team had met Kam and Tahiri at the docking bay. Soontir waved them into the ship. Tahiri turned to assist the team, but a grip on her arm stopped her.

"Where are my grandchildren?" Syal demanded, almost desperately. Her blond hair was singed and matted. Soot colored her face, over her left eye and cheek. Her lavender blouse was torn at the right shoulder. Dried blood clung to her forehead.

Tahiri could sense fear, apprehension and exhaustion racing through the woman as she asked, "Do you want to get cleaned up first?"

"I need to see them. I have to know they are safe," Syal responded in a tone that demanded no argument.

Tahiri suddenly understood. "Come with me."

Tahiri led Syal to the Jedi classroom she had just left minutes before. She motioned for Syal to wait outside and stepped in the room. She asked permission to pull Ani and Davin out, which was immediately granted. Both children squealed excitedly as they saw Syal. She held them close, showering them with affection.

"Are you staying?" Davin asked.

"Imagine so," Syal responded as she sat on the floor.

"Can we live with you?" Davin asked. "Please?"

"Of course, darling," Syal responded, smoothing his hair. Ani curled up on her lap, considerably happier than she had been.

"Syal, we need have you checked out," Soontir's voiced called from down the hallway.

"Grandpa!" Davin yelled and he and Ani wormed their way out of Syal's grasp to tackle their grandfather.

Soontir gave Tahiri a slight nod. She reached down and helped Syal stand. "I'll walk you to the medical bay."

Syal shook her head as she pulled away from Tahiri. She placed a kiss on Ani's forehead. "You need to go back to class, children. We'll come see you later."

The children nodded and complied. Tahiri took them back into the room, gave Zekk a reassuring smile and then went to ask Soontir exactly what was going on. She wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Csilla has been destroyed."

Stunned silence filled the large meeting room. The weekly meeting had been interrupted by an emergency transmission. Wedge had left the room to listen to it. When he came back, the look of despair on his face set everyone on edge.

Jaina gasped, clutching Jag's hand. His face had become an unreadable mask. Only his eyes showed his inner torment. Her eyes flicked from Jag to Wedge; waiting. Were Syal, Soontir, Wyn and Cem okay? She felt slightly guilty that she was relieved Davin and Ani weren't on planet at the time of the attack.

"We know that two of the Four Families were off planet," he went on. He continued discussing the attack, but Jaina tuned it out. She turned to Jag.

"I'm sure they're okay," she whispered, not believing the statement. She squeezed his hand.

"Yeah," Jag murmured.

The meeting was dismissed ten minutes later. Jag dropped Jaina's hand and rushed to his uncle, almost knocking over several beings.

"They're okay, Jag," Wedge said as soon as Jag approached him. Relief was obvious in Wedge's eyes. "I received a message from your father. They are at Shelter right now."

"They could have been followed," Jaina said, instantly regretting it.

"I'm sure Soontir took every precaution," Wedge said. "He said he'd be here in a few days."

Jag murmured his thanks. He turned from the room to leave. Jaina followed him to the communication center. She watched as Jag keyed in several long encryption codes. She recognized them as the codes used for Shelter. They waited in silence for a response. He pulled out a chair and motioned for Jaina to sit down. He rested his hands on her shoulders while they stared at the screen.

Jag let out a sigh of relief as Soontir's face finally appeared.

"We're all fine," Soontir said immediately. "The children are fine too. They've already talked your mother into allowing them to stay in her room."

"Wedge said you're coming here," Jag stated.

"Yes, I'll tell you more when I arrive. Your mother, Cem and Wyn are staying here."

"How bad was it?"' Jaina asked quietly.

"The planet's gone."  
-

"Crux, Dozen and Red squadrons, take the right. Rogues and Blackmoon, go left. Red, cover the Rogues as they take out the frigate. Everyone else, take out the coralskippers."

Jaina clicked the comm in response. She looked at the holo taped to the console of her X-Wing. Ani and Davin's faces looked back at her. Jaina could remember that day. Davin was pointing to an animal out of view of the holo. Ani had asked if she could go out and see it, but it was too cold out. Wyn had been playing with her new holocam and snapped the picture.

Jaina shoved away the temptation to reach out to the children. She had to focus on the battle or she was going to get her and her squadmates killed. She looked at her targeting computer. The Vong vessels were highlighted with green marks; allies were white.

Coralskippers soared through space, shooting plasma at the Alliance ships. X-Wings, Y-Wings, A-Wings and E-Wings danced around skips, blasting off pieces of hot coral. A large frigate was trying to escape Bespin space.

"Another battleship!" Command shouted over the comm. "Crux, take it out."

Jaina's brow furrowed in frustration as more coralskippers appeared. This wasn't going well. As she spun around and dodged another skip, she began shooting at the larger one. The dovin basal absorbed the first two shots, but the third one damaged the ship. Another set of lasers appeared. The dovin basal shifted to meet the lasers while Jaina's own cannons thundered to split the coralskipper into pieces.

Jaina chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about a way to change the odds. She glanced at the tactical display, noting the heavy losses on both sides. She watched as both of the large Vong vessels twisted through space. The Alliance needed an edge, an advantage. She maneuvered her X-Wing away from the planet.

The planet…

That was it! Bespin's red-orange atmosphere caused visibility problems for many pilots. From what she'd be told, the Vong hadn't had much experience with the atmosphere. She had to try.

Jaina began provoking closet frigate by doing flybys. She called out to her wingmates to join her. Quickly, the rest of the squadron figured out what she was doing and joined in. Following Jaina's lead, they drew the frigate to the planet.

"Watch out for those gravity wells," Jaina warned. She gritted her teeth. It was working, but not fast enough.

"Kyp," she said as she called into her comm.,"Do (you have minute?"

"What do you need?" he answered.

Jaina commed Corran as well and then explained her plan. The two men agreed and followed her lead. She called off the rest of the squadron, and then the three Jedi began. Jaina moved to cover Kyp and Corran as they released shadow bombs. The damage from Corran's bomb caused the frigate to veer toward the gases of Bespin. The frigate entered Bespin's atmosphere. Jaina, Corran and Kyp fought the planet's gravity as they junked and jinked around the frigate as only Jedi could.

"It's coming apart!" Corran shouted into the comm. "Get out of there!"

"Kyp! Look out!" Jaina screeched as a chunk of yorik coral blasted off the frigate and shot towards the X-Wing. She pushed the accelerator and shot the yorik coral off course.

"Jaina!" Corran yelled, but it was too late.

Jaina was gone.

The Yuuzhan Vong Biological Studies lab was a bustle of activity. Technicians rushed around, carrying test tubes, crates and datapads. They paid no attention to Telma as she walked through the lab to the table in the back of the room.

Danni Quee turned to greet her, "Hi, you must be Telma. I've looked over your report and integrated it with our information."

"Danni Quee, I presume?" Telma said with a smile. She shook Danni's hand. "Jacen told me you found a way to block yammosks earlier in the war."

"Well, I had help," Danni responded. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, and snatched a datapad off the table behind her. "I wanted to talk to you about the slave seeds, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Telma responded, tipping her head. Danni turned away from her. She rummaged around the table until she found a clear-lidded dish.

"Jacen managed to swipe this from the medics. He wasn't sure who it was in," Danni said, turning to show Telma to dead slave seed. "I read in your report that you were able to slightly alter the seed."

"I had some Force-sensitivity, but not formal training. I'm honestly not sure how I managed to do it. I concentrated on the seeds on a small level," Telma replied with a shrug.

Danni nodded, undiscouraged, "That's fine. We've been able to capture live slave seeds, but they don't last long. I'll unthaw a few for you to experiment with."

"You freeze them?"

"Carbon freezing. One of the old scientists, Draygo, suggested it. His logic was that if it works on living beings, it should work on slave seeds. It keeps them stable for storage. Not all survive the freezing, but enough do to make it worthwhile."

"How do you obtain the seeds?"

Danni shrugged, "The military does all the work. I'm afraid I'm not kept up to speed on the campaigns."

Danni walked away from the table over to a large steel cabinet against the far wall. She pulled out a small metal cube and brought it to the table. "Whenever you're ready, there it is."

"I suppose I may as well try it now," Telma said slowly.

"You can work in my office. It's quieter in there," Danni told her, picking up the cube and leading Telma to a small door by the table. She ushered Telma through. "Just press the red switch to unfreeze it. Stand back. Once it's free, you have to work quickly. It only lasts about two hours. Call me if you need anything."

Telma nodded as Danni left and closed the door. She gave the metal cube a dubious gaze. She reached inside of her jacket and pulled out a small case containing a scalpel, tweezers and scissors. She didn't know if they would do her any good in this situation, but the items gave her confidence.

Telma reached out and pressed the switch. She watched as the carbonite melted away.

_Here goes nothing_, she thought and began to work.

Jag jumped out of the cockpit of his X-Wing and ran to the medward. Kyp had asked him to take the lead hours ago when he had gone after one of the frigates. When Corran had called for a medical shuttle to come pick up a pilot, he panicked. He was already worried about his family, ; that Jaina could be injured only increased his anxiety astronomically. His stomach fell to his ankles when he heard Kyp issue an order. Jag wanted nothing more than to follow the shuttle back to the base, but he couldn't. Gavin Darklighter's order for him to stay caused his military training to supersede his desires. Hours later, he was able to land.

Jag skidded to a halt when he saw Jaina sitting on a medbunk in the main ward. She had her back to him and a medic was examining her eyes.

"Colonel Fel," the medic greeted with a nod. Jaina glanced over her shoulder and gave him a small smile.

"The bacta bandages should clear up your burns within the next 72 hours. That concussion shouldn't keep you out of commission for long," the medic said. "Come back tomorrow so we can check your progress."

Jaina nodded her thanks and he walked away. She hopped off the bed and faced Jag.

"I'm fine. Let's go."

Jag nodded, relieved. He followed her out of the medward and to their quarters. As they walked, Jag's thoughts jumped from relief to frustration to anger. Kyp had told him exactly had happened. He couldn't believe Jaina had taken such a rash risk.

As soon as the door closed, Jaina turned to him and said, "A chunk of yorik coral knocked into my ship. I blacked out for a couple minutes, but I'm fine. Just a slight concussion and burns on my arm. You heard the medic. I'm fine."

Jag ran a hand through his hair, "Kyp told me what happened. What were you thinking? You could have been killed!"

"But I wasn't," Jaina said. "I couldn't let him die."

"You don't know that that would have happened."

"I wasn't going to chance it. Too many people have died from stupid mistakes I've made. I'm not adding Kyp to that count," Jaina snapped, stepping closer to him.

"You can't save everyone, Jaina," Jag replied. "He said he was fine."

"He didn't know. Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Jagged," she growled, crossing her arms.

"It's not all about you or me, Jaina," he ground out. They were standing toe-to-toe, breathing heavily. Jag's eyes locked on to hers. He could see her steely determination and passion flashing through her eyes.

Jaina's eyes narrowed and she started to turn away from him. Jag gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. Suddenly her lips were on his. The frustration, pain, relief, stress, fear and need erupted from them. He wasn't sure who moved first. Jag released her wrist and moved his hand to her waist as he plundered her mouth. She tugged on his belt, pulling him with her as she moved. The back of her knees hit the bed and she tumbled backwards, taking him with her.


	10. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

The refugee area of the base was dotted with dirty, battered grey shelters. The Alliance tried to keep the area as clean and orderly as possible. Refugees rarely stayed in the shelters long. Neither the Alliance nor refugees wanted to attract the Yuuzhan Vong's attention. It was no secret what happened to refugee worlds. Few personnel visited the area.

Britna curled up against one of the durasteel walls, arms wrapped around her knees. The moans and cries of the displaced echoed through the chamber. She had no place to go. She didn't want to join the contingent of beings that traveled around the galaxy, doomed to roam until they died. She currently shared a tent with two other women. One would sit and stare at the wall every day, mumbling about her lost children. The other was talkative, always trying to start up conversations about anything.

Britna watched as Jacen entered the chamber. He stopped in front of each tent, asking those sitting outside if they were okay. She saw him change bandages and calm a crying child. As he passed her tent, he knelt down and picked up a Rugger, a rodent from Endor. It crawled up his arm and settled on his shoulder.

She watched him for an hour. The members of the refugee committee came by every few days, but no one expressed the depth of caring that Jacen did. She wondered if he'd always been that way or if his time with the Vong had caused that trait to develop.

"Hello, Britna," Jacen greeted as he approached her some time later. The Rugger was still perched on his shoulder. He handed it a crumb of a ration bar, which it ate eagerly.

"Hello, Jacen," she said as she stood. "I see you have a new friend."

Jacen grinned as he stroked the rodent's head with a finger. "Command won't be happy about it."

Britna made a face, "I remember the decontamination."

"At least they didn't shave off your hair."

"I'd have killed them," Britna responded flatly.

"Are you planning on leaving?" Jacen asked.

Britna shrugged, "I don't really have anywhere to go. All my money was on my ship. It's been digested by now, I'm sure."

"What about your family?"

"I have no idea. My mother left when I was five. Dad was around, but he never got over Mother. I had a little sister. She joined the New Republic military a couple years ago. I haven't heard from her or Dad in years," Britna explained, ignoring the feeling of guilt in the back of her mind.

"I'm sorry," Jacen said quietly, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks," she said, and then changed the subject. "I guess I'll just hang out here. I'm no solider, though."

"Neither am I."

Britna jerked her head in surprise. "You aren't?"

"I don't like killing."

"What about the Vong?" she asked.

"There are more innocent Vong than killers," he pointed out.

Britna was bewildered. She hated the Vong. She had hated them for years, but her capture had only strengthened those feelings. She knew Jedi were supposed to respect life, but the Yuuzhan Vong killed billions. How could there be any good in beings like that?

"It's complicated," Jacen offered.

Britna raised an eyebrow, "Everything is complicated, Jacen."

_The warm liquid threatened to pull him under. Blood flowed from the slashes on his back. His Yuuzhan Vong master was dissatisfied with the work in the villip field. He had chosen one of the strongest and one of the weakest to take his frustrations on. The weak one's screams echoed through the field. The other man growled in pain as the amphistaff whip-like tale connected with his back once again. The force of the whip tried to knock him off his feet. _

_The sharp pain hit him repeatedly. The master wasn't satisfied. He wanted to break the man. The man tripped and the undertow pulled him under. Warm mucus-like liquid filled his lungs. His chest burned and back ached. Fire burned through his extremities. Scars ripped open, leaking blood and pus into the field. _

_He kicked, trying to escape the dark prison. His legs stopped moving, despite his efforts. He had failed. He would die. He would die a meaningless death. He had failed to protect his family. He had failed to protect those around him. He had failed himself._

Jag awoke suddenly, breathing heavily. Sweat dripped down his bare torso. He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes, trying to suppress the sensation of drowning. The scars on his back and arms stung with a phantom pain.

"Jag?" Jaina's voice called. It sounded like she was meters away.

"I'm fine, Jaina," he said. She gently pulled his hands from his eyes. She touched his cheek, sending soothing thoughts his way.

He closed his eyes, trying to quell his anxiety. He appreciated what she was trying to do, but he just wanted to be left alone. Concentrating on dreams only made it worse, he thought. It brought back unpleasant memories and situations he would rather forget.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jaina asked gently.

"No." he pulled away from her and moved to leave the bed. Jaina snatched his wrist. He paused, squashing the irrational anger that suddenly surged through his system. He hated himself for it. She was trying to help him. Getting mad at her wasn't going to solve anything.

He couldn't stop it.

"I'll be fine. I just need to get some air," Jag told her, gently pulling away.

"Jag, you were shaking. You are in pain. You're not okay," Jaina insisted. "That's the fourth time this week."

Jag stood up, snatching his boots from the floor. "Just leave it alone, Jaina."

She opened her mouth as if to retort, but closed it. She slid off the bed to stand next to him. She took his hands in hers and said, "Be careful."

Syal sat at the main terminal in the communications center of Shelter. She had volunteered to take the late afternoon shift. Her job was to watch for any incoming transmissions, alarms or problems. This particular afternoon, Davin accompanied her. He was sitting on the floor working on an assignment.

Syal remembered the day Davin was born with perfect clarity. Jagged had sent a message to her as soon as Jaina had gone into labor. She, Wyn and Cem waited all day for news. When the comm finally rang, the three answered it with joyous anticipation. The message that followed was something none had seen coming.

Chak was dying.

A medic contacted her to come down to the hospital. He hadn't said that Chak wouldn't make it, but Syal knew. Soontir was already in the room when the three arrived. Syal somehow found the strength to walk over to her son's bed. He was barely breathing, but he was conscious. His skin had been cleaned, but she could see bruises and cuts. He was bleeding internally in multiple places and his spine was severed. There was nothing they could do to save him. The doctors were amazed he was still alive.

Chak had smiled at his family. He tried to lighten the air by joking around. Cem told him that Jaina was having the baby. Chak had insisted they not contact Jag. He said he didn't want to take Jag away from the birth of his son.

Somehow, Chak lasted the day. Soontir had had the expected call from Jag rerouted into a portable holocomm brought into Chak's room. After the initial announcement of Davin's birth, Soontir told Jag and Jaina about Chak. Chak said his goodbyes to his younger brother, told him not to feel any guilt and asked to see his nephew time over the transmission. Syal wished with all her heart that he could hold the boy.

Chak died the next day, exactly one minute past midnight. Syal thought he held out on purpose to avoid adding a painful memory to his nephew's birthday. She never found out exactly what had happened to her son; Soontir told her it wasn't important. She was sure he was protecting her.

Syal wiped her now tear-filled eyes. Jag made it to the funeral, Jaina and Davin in tow. Their visit was an uneven mix of despair and joy. It was cruel that another one of her children would die when her first grandchild was born.

"Gramma? You okay?" Davin asked. She blinked her eyes and saw him standing in front of her with a concerned look on his face.

"Yes, sweetie, I'm fine," she said. "How are your lessons coming?"

"I'm done."

"Good job. Would you like to help me send these supply reports? "

Davin's eyes lit up. "When do they go?"

"Five minutes," she told him. He crawled into her lap and pushed the buttons she pointed to. She double-checked the encryption and comm codes while they waited. Davin pressed the send button and grinned.

"Now what?"

"Now we wait here until Knight Horn comes to relieve us," Syal explained.

"How long will that be?"

"Patience, child."

Davin let out an exaggerated sigh. "I am being patient. I was just asking."

Syal shook her head, chuckling. She smoothed his hair. He frequently accompanied her on her shifts. He was fascinated by the communication center. His favorite part was the model of the galaxy. With a flip of a switch, the view of the stars would move from a two-dimensional image on the wall to a three-dimensional one within the room itself. Davin liked to walk around the "stars" and guess who lived in each system.

Syal reached over to another console and turned on the display for Davin. He hopped down from her lap and began exploring the stars.

She didn't have the heart to tell her how many systems were gone.

"What are you doing down here?" A voice called into the mid-sized supply room.

Jaina glanced over her shoulder and responded, "Working."

"Shouldn't you be on patrol?" Mara Jade Skywalker asked as she leaned again the doorway.

"Grounded," Jaina stated and turned back to a spare hyperdrive she was repairing.

"So I hear."

Jaina rolled her eyes as Mara walked into the room and sat on a stool across from her. She wasn't going to let it go.

"Just say it," Jaina said with a sigh. She put down her tool, sat back and waited.

"I heard about your little maneuver. That was stupid, Jaina."

"Aunt Mara, I've already heard it from Jag, Wedge, Kyp and Corran. I get it. It was dumb. It was reckless," Jaina explained with exasperation. "Won't happen again."

Mara gave her a knowing look, "You are more like your uncle than you realize, Jaina. You both have to save everyone, even if they aren't in any real danger. He may have given up responsibility at Ithor years ago, but it was a lie. What would you have given up, Jaina?"

Jaina didn't respond. She just glared at her aunt.

"I'm not here to lecture you, Jaina."

"Funny, that's what it sounds like," Jaina muttered.

"You're hiding."

"No, I'm not." Jaina insisted.

"Yes, you are. You are hiding in this workshop," Mara pointed out.

"Just drop it."

"No."

Jaina gritted her teeth. She stood up, and began pacing. "It's Jag, okay? I don't want him to find me."

Mara nodded knowingly, "I figured as much."

Jaina continued pacing as she spoke, "It makes me a horrible person, I know. His home was destroyed. It was my home for years. Our families were hurt."

"It's not the accident, is it?"

"No. I mean, we either fight or just ignore each other. Sometimes it's just awkward," Jaina said, rubbing her forehead in frustration. "One day we're fine and then the next we're like total strangers."

"It takes time to adjust, Jaina," Mara said gently.

"Jacen never adjusted, Aunt Mara. He never recovered. He still keeps everything to himself. There's something lurking inside of him, just at the edge. Did you know that I haven't actually felt Jacen? Not like before. I know he's there. I can sense him as well as I can Davin and Ani, but it's not the same. Our twin bond is gone by choice," Jaina confessed. She sank back down on the stool. "What if Jag is gone? I feel like I'm grasping at strings, trying to hold onto something that's not there."

"Do you still love him?"

Jaina looked taken aback at the question, "Yes, of course."

"Jaina, none of us can pretend to understand the damage the Vong do to their captives, but we have to learn how to treat it," Mara rested a hand on her shoulder. "If we can't help the ones we love, what hope does the rest of the galaxy have?"

The dark form that was once Csilla was frozen on the screen. Soontir had arrived that morning, bringing a hazy recording of the attack and destruction of the planet. He had pulled it from a sentry satellite. A large fleet entered the space around Csilla. The recording showed the Chiss, Empire and Galactic Alliance forces meet the Vong, diverting attention away of escaping civilians.

Jag rewound the recording. He had yet to see what exactly destroyed Csilla. It looked as if chunks of the planet had been ripped away, but nothing actually hit the planet. He stared at the recording, focusing on the shadowed side of Csilla.

A movement caught his eye. He paused the recording and changed it to play in slow motion. He watched as a trio of small ships approached the planet and then separated. One was shot down, but the other two went to opposite sides of the planet, exactly where pieces of the planet began to break.

Soontir had told Jag that during the attack, the ground had begun to quake violently. The glaciers covering the surface cracked, allowing heat from the planet's inner layers to escape. The heat caused the ice to begin to melt. As they had fled in the _Starflare_, the planet seemed to crumble.

The size of the attack force the Vong sent to Csilla surprised Jag. It was much larger than anyone had expected. Either the Vong had more resources than Intelligence realized, or they needed Csilla. Either way, something had to be done. They weren't going to win the war at this rate.

When Jag wasn't working with Kyp's squadron, he spent time reviewing refugee data. He was trying to get a rough estimate of how many refugees had some type of military training. The records were incomplete, of course, but so far, the total was 5 percent. If he added generic pilots, it upped it to 11 percent. The numbers were better than he expected.

Most of the refugees were displaced children. During Vong attacks, parents would push their children on packed shuttles as they stayed behind to die. He understood why they did it. If it were Davin and Ani, he would do the same thing.

The thought of his children brought a sharp pain. He absent-mindedly rubbed his chest. He clung to the brief days he had spent with them. After he met Jaina, he wanted the war to end for her, to ease her suffering. When Jaina told him she was pregnant with Davin, he'd been struck with an overwhelming need to give his family a safe place to live. He didn't want Ani and Davin to grow up in a war-torn galaxy. He wanted Davin's only concern to be if he could borrow the speeder. He wanted Ani to see whatever she wanted in the universe.

Jag snatched his datapad off the table and began scanning information. The answer to the end was there. He just had to find it.


	11. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**  
"What I don't understand is why the Vong did… whatever they did to Csilla," Iella Wessiri Antilles said. She looked around the table to face Soontir. "It's not like the base held anything extremely important."

"Danni, do you have any idea why the Vong would want the planet in the shape it's in?" Wedge asked.

Danni shook her head, "No. They don't need to grow a worldship. They have plenty of planets under their control. Yuuzhan'tar is hospitable; not perfect, but the Vong aren't going to pile into worldships and leave the galaxy. Coralskippers and larger vehicles grow perfectly well on other Shaped planets."

"How soon can an intelligence group head out there?" Wedge asked Iella.

"Tomorrow, probably," Iella responded.

Wedge nodded. "Soontir, do the Chiss have a team looking into it?"

"One left this morning."

"I've contacted Pelleaon. He'll want to include someone in the team," Leia added. She had been appointed as the main contact between the Alliance and Empire. The irony was not lost on anyone.

"The surviving Imperials returned to Bastion. The Chiss are on Nirauan," Soontir stated. "I'm assuming your people are back here."

"That's correct."

"I'm surprised the Chief of State isn't here," Soontir commented.

"Omas isn't on the base," Leia responded. "He's on Mon Calamari."

"Oh, the shipyards have completed the new model, I take it."

Leia eyed him suspiciously, "How did you know that?"

Soontir didn't respond. Wedge exchanged a look with Iella. Someone at their end was leaking information. The Galactic Alliance, Empire and Chiss may be working together, but that didn't mean they shared all their information.

"How are the Chiss planning on responding to the attack?" Leia asked, deciding to focus on the more pressing matter.

"If any attack has been planned, I don't know about it," Soontir stated. "And even if I did, I wouldn't be authorized to inform anyone of it."

"If you use our supplies and people, we have a right to know," Colonel Gavin Darklighter called from his position further down the meeting table.

"I'm on your side, Colonel," Soontir said, turning to face the younger man. "I'm positive you and your superiors haven't told us about every maneuver you've pulled using Chiss assets."

Gavin glowered at him, "I'm not at liberty to say either way."

"My point precisely."

"Anyway," Wedge said, diverting the conversation, "The Vong used a fairly large attack force. Why? We have had no indication of a rise in their military. The latest statistics show an increase in using slaves as warriors. The warrior caste is working rapidly to train new warriors. To waste such a large amount of needed warriors is unusual."

No one responded. The question had plagued them all. Were the Vong testing a new weapon? Did they have a new method of fighting?

There was simply no answer. And that fact scared Wedge more than he cared to admit.

After the fifth slave seed had died, Telma gave up. She and Danni had come up with a theory that the only way the seed could be manipulated was if it was connected to another being. The only way to test the method effectively would be to test it on someone. Experimentation of that sort was strictly forbidden.

Telma sat down at the table in the main room of Jag and Jaina's quarters. Jag handed her a glass of water and sat down across from her. After a couple minutes of pleasantries, Jag handed her a datapad.

She looked up at him with a look of surprise after she read it, "This is quite a plan, Jag."

"I know. You're the first one to see it. What do you think?" he asked.

"I'm not a strategist, but it seems like it could work. It'll take a lot of preparation and training to pull it off. Finding volunteers is going to be a challenge," she responded.

Jag made a face, "That and convincing the higher-ups that this is a viable solution."

"It'd certainly solve the problems of numbers."

"If this is approved, I want your help. You are a natural leader," Jag said. "Your work with Danni will also help."

Telma nodded her consent. "What about Jacen Solo?"

"I'm not sure," Jag said slowly. "He might think we are manipulating helpless captives, which isn't the case."

"Or he will want to help."

"Or that."

"When do you plan on taking this to Command?" Telma asked as she turned off the datapad and snapped it closed.

"Next week, probably. I need to look over the details again."

"Has your wife gone over it?" Telma asked. She noted a slight look of apprehension in Jag's eyes.

"Not yet, no," he responded slowly.

They spoke for a few more minutes about Jag's plan, and then Telma asked, "Have you heard from anyone who was with us?"

"Not really. I heard that Britna spoke to Jacen the other day," Jag responded with a shrug. "He spends a lot of time with the refugees."

"I've visited the camp a few times with Danni. She found me a room with another scientist," Telma explained. "I feel guilty going down there, but avoiding it is even worse."

"You feel like you should be there, too," Jag stated.

"Yes. Do you go down there?"

Before Jag could answer, the door opened and Jaina walked in. She went to stand next to Jag, resting a hand on his shoulders. She looked surprised to see Telma, but greeted her with a smile.

"Hello, Telma. Are you enjoying your work with Danni and her team?"

"Yes, it's fascinating to see what they have developed," she responded as she stood.

"Oh don't leave because of me," Jaina told her with a wave of her hand. "I just need to get cleaned up."

"There's a new tub of grease remover under the sink," Jag called as Jaina walked into their bedroom.

"Thanks!" she called and closed the door.

"You keep that in your quarters?" Telma asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jag shrugged, "It's easier that way."

Telma chuckled as she stood to leave, "Tell me when you present this. I'm looking forward to hearing the response."

The roar of twenty-two incoming X-Wings vibrated various crates and carts in the hanger bay. Technicians rushed forward with ladders. Colonel Tycho Celchu stood by the main entrance to catch the squadron leaders as they exited. At the edge of the hanger, a medical evacuation transport landed and two bodies were rushed out on stretchers.

Jaina climbed down from her cockpit. She yanked her helmet off and tucked it under one arm. While out on a routine patrol, Jaina's fight groups spotted some coralskippers poking around the gas giant. Command had sent Kyp's squadron to cover the other side of the planet while the Crux Squadron took out the coralskippers. Two pilots were forced to go extravehicular; one due to mechanical failure and the other due to damage done by a coralskipper.

Jaina walked over to where Jag's X-Wing was berthed. She'd thought a lot about her conversation with Mara and was determined to bridge the gap between her and Jag. She knew she would have to let him in more and listen. She smiled as she approached him. He was rubbing the back of his neck as he surveyed the scoring on his ship.

"Looks like it needs a scrub down," Jaina commented as she stood next to him. She took his free hand in hers and kissed his cheek.

Jag raised an eyebrow at her, "Couldn't hurt."

"Are you busy?"

"No, it's Kyp's turn to do the briefing. Why?"

"Come with me," Jaina responded. She tugged on his hand. He tipped his head in agreement, a curious look in his eyes. He followed Jaina to their quarters, where she deposited their helmets and grabbed a small bag. She then lead him through a series of hallways until they arrived at a non-descript doorway. Jaina entered a code into the door and walked in. The chamber was small, no bigger than the smallest conference room. The back wall had a viewport that displayed Bespin's swirling orange gases. Off in the distance, the ruined remains of Cloud City could be seen. A bench lined one of the side walls.

Jaina pulled Jag to sit next to her on the bench. She opened up the bag to remove two bottles of water. She handed him one.

"Jaina, what are we doing here?" Jag asked, curiosity finally taking hold.

"I thought we could…talk or something. I thought you could use a few hours away," Jaina said quietly, looking down at her hands.

Jag placed a hand under her chin and moved her to face him. "Good idea."

Jaina bit her lip nervously. She glanced down, and then back at him.

"Jaina, what's wrong? I haven't seen you this nervous since you told me you were pregnant with Ani," Jag took her hands in his.

Jaina squeezed his hands and took a deep breath, "I wanted to talk to you about us. We've changed, Jag. I don't want to lose what we had. I know it won't be the same. I know we can't go back, but I don't want to lose you."

Jaina swallowed the sob that threatened to escape. She was determined to finish what she came here to say. "Jacen…Jacen shut everyone out, even me. To see him standing right in front of me and being unable to sense him completely hurts every day. You don't have to tell me everything. I don't want to make your relive it. I know I don't want to relive parts of my past. But let me be there for you, let me in. I know I'm just as guilty. I've let my concerns over the children and defenses I've built over the past several years come between us. Don't shut me out, Jag, please."

Her lower lip was trembling by the end of her monologue. She pulled a hand away from Jag and wiped her eyes. Jag gently pulled her closer so her head rested against his chest.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," he said.

"I'm sorry, too," Jaina responded.

"It's like relearning to walk," Jag began, "Everything is the same, yet so different. None of us thought we would make it back. Being here with you is almost surreal. I'm afraid I'll wake up and you'll be gone. I'll be back in the slave dormitory, surrounded by suffering and being helpless to stop it."

Jaina felt him tense as he spoke. His arm pulled her tighter as he buried his face in her hair.

"Watching and hearing other beings writhing in pain was almost as bad as the guilt," he said quietly.

"Oh Jag, you didn't need to feel guilty about anything," she said, moving far enough from him to face him.

Jag sat quietly for a few moments, collecting his thoughts, "I understand how you feel about leaving the children, Jaina. When I came back, all I wanted to do was spend all my time with them and you. The rest of my life won't make up for the time I've missed." He squeezed his eyes closed. "Kriff, Jaina, I missed the birth of my daughter! I've only been able to spend a couple weeks with her and Davin."

Jag clutched her hands tightly, eyes hard with determination, "We have to end this, Jaina. We have to end it for them."

Jaina pulled her hands away from him. She placed one on his cheek, "We will, Jag. Somehow, we will."

Luke Skywalker and Valin Horn stood at one end of the training room. Luke stood calmly, hands clasped in front of him. His lightsaber hung from his belt. Next to him, Valin anxiously twitched, passing his lightsaber from hand to hand.  
"Calm yourself, Valin. Your feelings distract you. It can cost you," Luke advised.

"Yes, Master," Valin mumbled. He stilled his movements and stared at his opponents. Kyp Durron waited on the opposite side of the room, Sannah standing next to him. She didn't train regularly with Kyp, but Luke encouraged the elder Jedi to train with the younger to teach them new styles and techniques.

"Okay, Sannah, Valin, begin," Luke instructed. The two walked forward, bowed and lit their lightsabers. Valin moved first, his green blade clashing with her yellow one. The two had never dueled before. The first few minutes were filled with each testing the other.

Sannah flipped over Valin, swinging her blade in a downward arc. Valin rolled out of the blade's path. His fighting style reminded Luke of Corran Horn's. Luke mentally cringed as Valin stumbled backwards as Sannah knocked him to the side with a sharp kick. He watched as she quickly took advantage of Valin's lack of telekinetic skills, flipping and spinning around him.

Luke exchanged a glance with Kyp. Neither would interfere. Valin had to figure out his own system. The two masters watched the duel. Valin gradually began to gain the upper hand.

"Master Skywalker."

Luke turned from the duel to face the woman standing next to him. "Good afternoon, Alema."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Master, but Queen Mother Tenel Ka wishes to speak with you. Colonel Celchu sent me to find you," Alema Rar said quietly.

"Thank you, Alema," Luke said with a nod. He called for Valin and Sannah to stop. He asked Kyp to work with the two, and then hurried after Alema. He was surprised that Tenel Ka wanted to talk to him. She rarely contacted the Galactic Alliance.  
Tycho was waiting for him in the main communication room. He thanked Alema for her help, and then addressed Luke, "The transmission is secure."

"Thank you, Tycho," he said and sat down in front of the unit.

"Your Highness," Luke greeted.

"Master Skywalker," Tenel Ka responded. "As you may recall, a year ago you asked if Hapes could provide additional protection for the Jedi."

"Yes, and you informed me that you would have to search for a location that would hide the Jedi from both the Yuuzhan Vong and the Hapans."

Tenel Ka nodded, "I found a suitable location, if you need it."

Luke nodded, "Shelter is too well known. I'd like to move the younger students somewhere well hidden."

"I'm afraid I cannot offer you the location over a transmission. Would it be possible to send a representative here?"

"I'll send a friend."

"Thank you, Master Skywalker. That would aid in the deception," Tenel Ka responded, and ended the transmission. He stood up, turned off the communicator and audio blocker. As he left the room, he debated whom to send. The best candidates were Jaina or Jacen, but he wasn't sure if they could be spared.

Later that evening, he asked Mara whom she would recommend.

"Find out from Wedge if he can spare Jaina and Jag for a week or so," Mara said. "It won't look too suspicious to the Hapans. It's common knowledge they're friends."

Luke eyed her, "Is that the only reason?"

Mara shrugged, "I just think it'd be a good idea."

Luke nodded, "I'll speak to Wedge in the morning."

"I hope this works. It'd be a better environment for Ben," Mara commented.

"Yes, but would we be able to visit as frequently?" Luke mused.

"I'd like to see them try to stop me," Mara said menacingly.

Luke cocked his head in agreement. Only a fool would come between Mara Jade and her son.  
-


	12. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

"Phelope is far enough away from the main portion of the cluster that it doesn't attract a lot of traffic, but close enough to receive the necessary security," Tenel Ka said, pointing to the light representing the planet on a large holographic map. "There's a facility already in place. I've had a team working on it quietly. Aside from living quarters and classrooms, there is an enclosed outdoor area for the children to play. I've had advanced security systems installed. Here's a data disc with all the information for Master Skywalker."

Jaina took the disc and said, "Thank you."

"What makes a planet-bound shelter better than the Maw?" Jag asked, leaning forward in his chair.

Jaina smirked at Tenel Ka as the young queen turned to answer him, "The Hapes Cluster has natural defenses that have worked to our advantage over the past several years. We've had a high success rate of repelling the Yuuzhan Vong that harass our borders. It helps that we have sheer numbers and the ruling family has not only been in my favor for years but my mother's as well. Master Skywalker informed me that Shelter has become too well-known. Phelope is not, and the structure includes a bunker. Hiding the Jedi students there keep them safe from view, as well as providing them some freedom they don't have at Shelter."

Jag nodded, "How do you intend to avoid a political disaster or attack? All it takes is one person to leak the location to the Vong."

"The structure is hidden from sight. Even if someone were to stumble upon it, he wouldn't be able to enter. DNA identification codes are needed to enter. There are also Force-enhanced security measures. The team who worked on it was cleared by me. My father supervised the construction. Only a few others know of the location, but they do not know why I have had it remodeled. If anyone asks, it's another safe house," Tenel Ka explained.

"Who installed the final security systems?"

"Talon Karrde."

"I'm convinced," Jaina commented, "but I'd like to see it myself."

"I assumed as much," Tenel Ka replied as she turned off the map. "I can show you the various entry points on the way."

Jag and Jaina followed Tenel Ka as she led them out of the room. They walked to her private hanger and boarded her shuttle. She told Jaina to pilot it. After Jaina programmed the microjump, Tenel Ka excused herself from the cockpit.

Jaina turned the pilot chair to face Jag after pulling the hyperspace lever He was sitting behind her. She crossed her arms and asked, "What do you think?"

"It's a viable solution," Jag stated. "She's covered all the basics. I won't be convinced until I see the security measures though."

"Me either, but I trust Tenel Ka," Jaina commented. She turned back to the console to examine the controls.

The console beeped. Their microjump was almost complete. Tenel Ka entered the cockpit and sat in the co-pilot's chair.

An hour and a half later, after Jag had scrutinized the security systems, he and Jaina walked hand-in-hand through the outdoor area in the center courtyard. A cobblestone walkway wound around the courtyard. A small fountain, which was surrounded by benches, sat in the middle.

"Ani would love this," Jaina commented, touching the trunk of a large tree that lined the path.

"What about Davin?" Jag asked. Jaina smiled sadly at him. There was so much he didn't know about their children. She squeezed his hand and responded, "Oh, he'll like it but he's your son, Jag. As long as there's an area he can play with his ships, he's happy."

Jag chuckled, "Where did you hear about that?"

"Oh, Cem told me about the many epic battles you two had as children. I think he used Davin as an excuse to bring them out again."

"What is Davin's favorite?" Jag asked as they continued down the path.

Jaina raised an eyebrow, "Guess."

"Clawcraft?"

"Of course. He wouldn't give the X-Wing a chance," Jaina said with a laugh.

"Smart kid," Jag said.

Jaina rolled her eyes. "Your mother always said he was too smart for his own good."

They continued through the courtyard. Jag stopped her when they approached a bench. He tugged on Jaina's hand and they sat down.

"We're due back on the base in five days," Jag stated, studying his hands.

"Yes. Uncle Luke wasn't sure how much time Tenel Ka would have to show us everything," Jaina responded, "Although I think Aunt Mara had something to do with the amount of time we were given."

"What else do we need to do here?" Jag asked.

"Nothing. We have the information. Tenel Ka found me the detailed security schematics from Karrde to give to Aunt Mara."

"Do we have time to go to the Maw?" Jag asked, finally looking at her.

Jaina smiled softly at him. She caressed his cheek, "Yes."

"Jagged! Jaina!" Syal exclaimed as she opened the door. Jaina and Jag stood in the doorway, grinning. Syal threw her arms around both of them. "Come in. What are you doing here?"

"We finished up an assignment early," Jaina responded as Jag squeezed by her to enter the apartment.

"The kids are still sleeping," Syal said. It was early morning at Shelter.

Jag had already opened the door to the children's room. Jaina hissed at him to be quiet.

"I'm not going to wake them," he whispered. He knelt down next to Ani's bed. Her blanket had fallen off her. He picked it up and tucked it around her. He brushed her hair away from her face. Her eyes fluttered opened. Her brow furrowed, and then she squealed as she lunged at Jag.

"Daddy!"

Davin woke up at the noise. He grinned and rolled out of bed. He wormed his way onto Jag's lap, knocking him over so he was sitting on the floor. Davin threw his arms around his father. Ani looked up and saw Jaina in the doorway. She let go of Jag and ran to Jaina. Jaina scooped Ani up while Davin hugged her legs.

"Mama, I got a loose tooth, " Davin said, bouncing up and down. "Look, Daddy!"

"That's great, son," Jag told him. He let Davin lead him out of the room. Davin pulled him to the couch to sit.

"Do you have to go away again?" Davin asked as he settled next to Jag.

Jag hesitated a moment, and then answered, "Your mom and I have to leave in a couple days."

"To go fight those ugly Vong guys?"

Jag chuckled despite the situation, "Yes, to go fight those ugly Vong guys."

"Okay," Davin responded, giving Jag a serious look. "Did they get rid of Csilla?"

Jag's brow furrowed. His father had told him that the kids didn't know about Csilla's fate. "Where did you hear that?"

Davin gave Jag a guilty look, "Me and Ben were listening to Uncle Cem, Aunt Wyn and Tahiri."

"Davin," Jag scolded. "You do not listen to other people's conversations."

"Sorry, Daddy," he mumbled. His voice then dropped to a scared whisper, "Did they get rid of it?"

Jag ran a hand over his brow. He and Jaina had agreed with Soontir and Syal's decision to keep Davin and Ani in the dark about Csilla's fate, but he knew he couldn't lie to Davin. He would sense it. He took a deep breath before answering.

"Yes, Davin, it's gone."

"We can't go back?"

"No, we can't."

Davin's eyes filled with tears. "But where we going to live?"

Jag pulled him onto his lap. "We'll find a new place to live."

Davin looked at him fearfully, "What if they come here?"

Jag brushed the tears from Davin's cheeks. He fought down every helpless, nervous, fearful emotion he felt as he answered, "They won't find you here, I promise."

The answer was enough for Davin. He threw his arms around Jag's neck in obvious relief. Jag glanced up and saw Jaina across the room. He had no doubt that she'd heard the exchange. Their eyes met and the same thought seemed to pass between them.

_They've scared our son._

_Lightening carved bright lines in the sky. Thunder crashed through the air. Rain pelted the cobblestone walkways, creating large puddles. The lighting struck a dead tree. The dry wood erupted into flames, which quickly began to engulf the dying forest. _

_A lone being sat curled up in a cave. Dirty blond hair framed a bloody face. Her eyes were black, smoldering with fear and hatred. As the flames came closer, she straightened her body. She suddenly jumped up and pulled an ampistaff from behind her. Its razor sharp edge slashed through the flames as she charged forward. As she turned, coral growths seem to sprout from her back. She threw her head back in agony as she lurched forward into the fire. She dug her heels into the wet, muddy ground in protest. Her back arched against her will and she fell forward into the fire._

Jacen's eyes snapped open. He was sitting in his room. He had been meditating when the vision occurred. He wiped his eyes as if to clean the image from his brain. He had felt a desperate struggle from the woman. She was fighting against the dark force controlling her. Jacen recognized the coral growths as the slave implants used specially for fighting.

He didn't know what the vision meant. He had long ago stopped trying to assume he understood his visions. He would create theories and guess, but was never sure. He had learned that lesson the hard way.

The stereotypical phrase "The future is always in motion" rang through Jacen's head. Visions could be triggered by an event, an action, a shift in the Force or just at random. Jacen associated this one with a multitude of triggers. He had been spending more time around the refugees. Danni told him about the work she and Telma were attempting to do with the slave seeds. He'd been talking more with Britna, who was still dazed from her capture. On top of everything, Jacen could still communicate with the World Brain on Yuuzhan'tar, although he did not need to. The World Brain had become a nuisance to the Yuuzhan Vong. It came up with various ideas to torment them, seeing the sabotage as fun.

Jacen rubbed at the large scar on his chest. As he closed his eyes, he could feel invisible tendrils of the slave seed twine their way around his ribs. He reached out and touched the World Brain. It reacted to him, recognizing his presence. A small smile appeared on his face. It was as if he was communing with an old ally, a friend.

His relationship with the World Brain was still a secret. He knew there would be a push for him to destroy Yuuzhan'tar if anyone found out.

Jacen slapped his palms on the floor and pushed himself up. He wasn't going to dwell on the vision. Understanding would come or it wouldn't. He walked past his bed and out the front door. He moved through the corridors, ignoring the sounds of life around the base. He focused on simply breathing in and out, but it didn't work. He could not shake the image of the blonde woman writhing in pain.

Han flinched as the whine of TIE fighter engines echoed through the chamber. He had never been able to be completely comfortable around anything Imperial. Leia gave him a small smile as they watched the fighters land. They weren't stationed at the base; they were merely passing through to refuel before heading to Imperial-controlled space.

"Pellaeon's new scientists are arriving this evening," Leia said, crossing her arms as she stared out of the transparisteel window.

"Another one?"

Leia nodded, "It's a competition. The Galactic Alliance is in charge of all research. The Empire and the Chiss both want to have the most technicians. Whoever has the most pull in the labs is the true controller of the labs."

"Politics," Han muttered.

Leia raised an eyebrow at him, "Surprised? At the moment, the Chiss have two more than the Empire."

"And us?"

"We have three less than the Empire, but Danni is in charge," Leia explained. "Two less, if you count Telma. She's been working with Danni."

"Telma? That Twi'lek that arrived with Jaina and Jag?"

"Yes," Leia responded with a nod.

The TIE pilots climbed out from their cockpits and marched to their commander. An official Han didn't know approached him and gave him a datacard with what Han assumed were instructions. The commander nodded, and then led his pilots from the hanger. Technicians began refueling the TIEs.

"The one who controls the labs controls new developments," Han pointed out.

"Yes. The Chiss and Imperial scientists send developments to their own home labs."

"Where they can use the information themselves."

"Exactly."

"Some alliance," Han scoffed.

"Are you surprised?" Leia responded.

"Of course not. Slimy Imperials and ice-cold Chiss acting exactly as predicated," Han stated. "And our daughter married right into them."

"Han," Leia scolded.

His response was interrupted by the _Starflare _breaking the magbarrier and entering the docking bay. They watched as the ramp lowered and Jaina and Jag slowly walked out. Jag raised the ramp and locked it. His arm went around her waist and they walked slowly out of the hanger.

"They went to Shelter," Han observed.

Leia nodded, brow furrowed and lips pursed in thought. Han waited for her to respond, but she instead turned to leave.

"What is it?" Han asked, grabbing her wrist.

"Something's wrong," she said, voice trailing off.

"With Jaina?"

"No," Leia said, finally meeting his eyes, "It's Ani."


	13. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

A piercing scream echoed through the small apartment. Syal rolled out of bed and rushed to Davin and Ani's room. She smacked the control on the door and rushed through before it could open fully. Ani was sitting on her bed, hair tangled and tears rolling down her cheeks. Davin was sitting next to her with his arm around her shoulders.

"Ani? What is it?" Syal asked worriedly as she sat next to her on the bed. Ani threw her arms around Syal and she pulled the girl into her arms. Davin scooted closer to his sister, his face a blank mask. Ani shook with sobs. Syal rubbed her back and asked Davin, "Davin, do you know what's wrong?"

Davin's eyes looked at her solemnly, "Something happened to Uncle Jacen."

Syal's heart leapt to her throat. She prayed that he wasn't dead. She wouldn't ask a child that question. She heard the front door open and footsteps race into the room. Seconds later, Tahiri, Cem and Wyn crowded at the doorway. Tahiri squeezed past and knelt in front of the bed.

"Ani," she called gently. Ani turned her head to face her. Tahiri caressed her cheek. With the other hand, she took one of Davin's. "Your Uncle Jacen is okay."

Ani shook her head, "Uh uh. Something bad has him."

Syal looked to Tahiri for help. Tahiri took the girl into her arms, "Ani, what did you feel?"

Ani rubbed her eyes, "I was sleeping and there was a lady sitting in the dirt with rocks on her back. It was all wet out and scary. It hurt, Tahiri. Then Uncle Jasa was there and he fell down. Something mean and scary and mad ate him."

"Did you see anything else?" Tahiri asked.

Ani's lip trembled as she responded, "It got all dark and scary. It tried to eat me and the lady."

Tahiri hugged her tightly, and then handed her back to Syal. She turned to Davin, "Did you see anything?"

Davin shook his head, "No."

The pinging of a comlink startled Syal. Wyn ducked out of the room to find it. She walked back into the room a second later, "Jaina's calling. She wants to talk to the children. Jysella has her on hold down in the communication center."

Syal nodded. She stood up off the bed, carrying Ani. Davin grabbed a pair of shoes and put them on, refusing to be carried. He did take Tahiri's hand, however, as they walked to the communication center.

Jaina and Jag's worried faces stared from the comm unit. Jysella hopped off the chair and moved to the side of the room. Davin broke away from Tahiri and rushed forward to climb into the chair. Syal placed Ani next to Davin.

Jaina began asking the children questions. Ani repeated what she saw and felt, with Davin's input. Syal watched as Jaina and Jag exchanged worried looks and proceeded to calm the children down.

"Gramma?" Davin called. "Mommy and Daddy want you."

Syal walked up to the image. She stroked Ani's hair as Jag began to speak, "Mother, can you take the children back to bed? We need to talk to Tahiri."

"Of course," Syal answered, and then waited for Ani and Davin to tell their parents goodbye. She offered her own goodbye, and then took the children from the room. Ani rested her head on Syal's shoulder. Davin walked next to her, staring at the floor. Davin reached up and opened the door to their quarters once they approached. Syal gently lay Ani on her bed. She had already fallen asleep.

"Davin?" Syal said, stepping out of the room. "Do you feel something else?"

"Something bad is coming."

He was lying flat on his stomach, hands pressed to the hard floor. A booted foot in the middle of his back prevented him from moving. He slowly tilted his head upwards so he could rest his chin on the floor. His brown eyes stared forward as he clenched his teeth.

He counted to three and then twisted his body to the left. One hand grabbed the attacker's ankle and yanked it down. The man stumbled backwards as Jacen stood up. He pinned him to the ground, ending the match.

Jacen gave Valin a sharp nod as Luke walked up. Luke pulled Valin aside and began to talk to him about the match. Jacen turned and began to walk out of the room.

"Jacen!" Jaina's voice called. He turned to see Jaina entering the training room from the back door. She jogged to catch up with him. "I need to talk to you. Now."

Jacen tipped his head in consent and motioned for Jaina to lead the way. It was pointless to argue when she used that tone. The tone demanded obedience and cooperation. He could remember Leia using it with several politicians through the years. He followed his twin through the recreational area to the residential area to her quarters. He sat down at a table and she sat across from him.

"What were you doing around 2000 hours last night?" she asked with preamble.

"Meditating. Why?" Jacen responded curiously.

Jaina took a deep breath, and then began to tell Jacen about Ani. She had felt a rush of terror from her daughter last night. Jacen sat in silence as Jaina described what Ani said she saw and felt. His blood ran cold upon hearing such a similar description to his own vision. After she finished, Jacen then told Jaina what he had seen.

"I can't believe I didn't feel her. How did Tahiri know?" Jacen mused.

"I asked Tahiri to keep an eye on the children," Jaina responded. "What do you think this means? Why did she see what you saw?"

"I don't know," Jacen murmured, and then asked, "Is she okay?"

Jaina sighed, "I don't know. Jag and I were able to calm her down. I haven't felt anything else from her."

"What about Davin?"

"He's worried about her, but didn't see anything," Jaina stated.

"Are you going to go to them?"

Her cheek twitched in agitation as she responded, "I've been denied permission to leave."

Jacen knew better than to ask questions. "I'm sure Syal can handle it."

"Yes."

"I don't know why Ani and I saw a similar vision," he said in an attempt to somewhat divert the conversation and her focus.

"Did you see her there?" Jaina asked, leaning forward.

Jacen shook his head, "No, just the blond woman. I've never seen her before."

Jaina was silent for a moment, and then asked, "Jacen, what does this mean?"

He shook his head, "I don't know, Jaina. I just don't know."

Jag rubbed his eyes with a hand while he waited for Wedge to finish reading the detailed outline of his idea. After he and Jaina had talked to Tahiri and the children last night, Jaina sat in an almost trance-like state as she focused on Ani and Davin. Jag sat next to her until she was sure that the children were fast asleep. They lay in bed for hours worrying about what was going on. Jaina had wanted to find Jacen immediately, but had been unable to reach him.

Wedge placed the datapad on his desk and said, "You realize how long this will take."

"Yes," Jag said with a tip of his head.

"We'll need more Intelligence staff than can be spared."

"I was thinking we could train some of the captives."

"How likely are they to join? We've already tried recruiting them. Most don't want to have anything to do with the military. They harbor resentment that we couldn't save their worlds," Wedge explained.

"Not the refugees, the former captives. Most of them lack military experience, but that can be remedied," Jag said, leaning forward. "Each being I met in captivity was forced to find their strengths to survive. Military operations are effective, but this is a different kind of war. If we can infiltrate the slave camps with beings strong enough to carry out this plan, we can win from the inside."

Wedge leaned forward, elbows resting on his desk and chin cupped in his hands. He stared in thought at his nephew. He sat for several minutes before answering.

"I will run this by Intel and get back with you," Wedge told him. "Based on what you have here, it's definitely probable."

"Thank you, sir," Jag said and left the office, feeling slightly more hopeful than he had when the day started.

An explosion rocked the northwest side of Shelter. The group of younglings walking with Jysella stumbled in the hallway. Jysella reached out and caught a young Rodian boy before he crashed into the floor. An alarm began to sound through the hallways. She snatched her comlink from her belt and called the communication center.

"What's going on?" she snapped.

"We're under attack," Tionne's voice called over the speaker. "Bring the younglings to the central bunker."

"Understood," Jysella said, and then turned to the younglings, "Come on, we need to hurry."

The children nodded and followed her. She led the eight younglings down the hallways and towards the bunker. Next to the hanger bay, there was a fortified room in Shelter that was built specifically to keep the occupants safe should someone invade.

Jysella ushered them into the room. Tahiri walked up to Jysella and said, "The training quadrant has been breached. Kam has issued an evacuation order. We've got a couple fighters launching to cover the escape. Take this group into the hanger bay and load them on one of the shuttles. Can you take a fighter?"

"Yes," Jysella responded.

"Good. Take them and go," Tahiri ordered. Jysella nodded and waved the younglings along. They ran to the hanger bay. Jysella led them to the first shuttle and rushed them up the ramp. She nodded to the Jedi trainees in the hold, and then raced down to locate a flightsuit and helmet.

Fifteen minutes later, Jysella was in the cockpit of an X-Wing. She toggled on her comm to wait instructions.

"Jedi Four and Five, escort the _Skyrider _out," Zekk's voice called. He was leading the defense. He'd been put in charge of training various Jedi for space battle.

"Got it, Lead," Jysella said. She glanced at her scopes to locate her wingmate, and then veered toward the shuttle. She muttered a curse as one of the attacking ships raced after the _Skyrider_. She pushed the throttle down quickly to approach from behind and began a succession of stutter fire. She succeeded in hitting one of the engines, but it didn't cause enough damage to stop its pursuit. Her wingmate scored a hit on one of the two gun turrets. Jysella hoped it breached the atmosphere in the gun well. Jysella took a deep breath, enveloping herself in the Force and concentrated on the ship. She flipped her X-Wing to the right as laser fire surrounded her. She sped up and moved so she was once again behind the ship. She squeezed the trigger on her stick and scored a hit on the ship's engines.

"_Skyrider_, jump!" she instructed. A few moments later, the shuttle disappeared into the first hyperspace jump out of the Maw.

Jysella breathed heavily, staring out the viewport. The enemy ship was leaking something, probably coolant. It was no longer a threat.

"Four and Five, your assistance is needed at Quadrant Three," Zekk ordered.

"Copy that, Lead," Jysella responded and jumped back into the fight.

"Four, tighten up," Kyp instructed over the airwaves. The Dozen were running patrol. Kyp was leading them through various maneuvers.

"Yes, sir," a clipped male voice responded. The X-Wing leveled out.

"All right, let's try maneuver 827. Flight Three and Four go forty degrees starboard," Kyp instructed. The six fighters moved as instructed and then the entire squadron began the maneuver.

"Lead, three vessels exited hyperspace at 275 degrees," Jag's voice cut through the comm waves.

"Got it," Kyp responded. He relayed the information to the base, which then instructed the squadron to investigate. "Dozen attack pattern Delta. Flights Two and Four, sweep around from the right. Our visitors are unknown. Play nice."

Eleven clicks acknowledged the instructions. The fighters moved quickly into formation and turned to investigate. The transition was seamless. Between Kyp and Jag's discipline, the squadron had become a strong, united group.

"No skips," Five announced.

"Unidentified vessels, you are in restricted Galactic Alliance territory. Identity yourself and state your intentions," Kyp demanded over the comm.

"This is the _Skyrider,_ out from Shelter. We have Jedi trainees aboard. _Longshot_ has wounded aboard," a voice called over the comm.

"_Skyrider,_ what happened?" Kyp asked. He could feel several Force-sensitives aboard, along with Streen and Kirana Ti.

"An attack," Kirana Ti's voice said, taking over for the original speaker. "Durron, can we land or not?"

"_Skyrider_ and L_ongshot_, go to docking bay 345," a voice from the Command Center called over the comm.

"Acknowledged," Kirana's voice called.

Kyp flipped over to a private channel, "Jag, escort them down and land. You're excused from patrol."

"Thank you, Kyp," he responded gratefully.

Kyp switched back to the squadron channel, "Three and Four, assist Two in escorting the shuttle down."

Clicks rang over the comm as the two X-Wings moved to join Jag by the two shuttles.

"_Skyrider,_ are others expected?" Kyp asked.

After a moment, Kirana's voice responded, "We don't know."

Kyp gritted his teeth in frustration and anger. Someone had gone after the Jedi. It could be the Vong. It could be the Peace Brigade. It could be mercenaries. He let out a breath. He wasn't going to get any answers sitting around. He looped his X-Wing around. He had a feeling something was coming. He wasn't going to be caught unprepared.

Jaina leapt down from the cockpit of her X-Wing and ran across the docking bay. She threw open the door of a stairwell and raced down the steps. She'd been out escorting a supply ship from a nearby system when the she had felt indescribable terror from Davin and Ani, along with flashes of pain. When the Crux Squadron arrived in system, she heard Kirana Ti tell Kyp there had been an attack at Shelter. She hadn't felt her children on either the _Skyrider or Longshot._ She hadn't waited for instructions; she'd landed as soon as possible.

Jaina turned from the stairwell landing and slid through the door to the proper level. She ran to the shuttles, and stopped when she saw Jag standing at the ramp of the first one.

"What happened?" she demanded as she stopped next to him. Streen was also standing outside the ramp. A medical team was pulling children from the shuttles.

Streen gave Jaina a brief explanation, but it was lost on her as two more ships broke the magbarrier and landed in the bay. She touched Jag's shoulder and said as she pointed to the closer of the two, "They're in that one."

Jaina and Jag ran to the ship. It was covered in carbon scoring and the side gun well was gone. He took her hand in his as they waited for the shutdown process to end and the ramp to lower.

"Are they okay?" Jag asked anxiously.

"I can't tell. They're in there, but they're unconscious," Jaina told him. She squeezed his hand tightly. "Earlier they were scared and in pain."

Jag's jaw clenched as a dark fury filled his eyes. Jaina glanced at him with concern, but any comment she would have made was halted when the ramp lowered. Before they could make it halfway up the ramp, Tahiri bound down with an unconscious Ani in her arms. She handed the girl to Jag and said, "Get her to a medward."

Jag nodded, cradling Ani to his chest. Jaina touched Ani's forehead and said, "Go. I'll get Davin."

Jaina turned and went the rest of the way up the ramp as Jag took Ani away. She could hear children crying. She was focused on one presence: her son. She weaved her way through the ship, vaguely aware of Tahiri barking instructions to the medical team that had arrived after Jaina. She twisted through the hold.

"Jaina!" Ben's voice cried as he tackled her legs. She bent down to check him. He had a cut on his forehead but other than that, he was fine. She hugged him tightly, "Are you okay?"

Ben nodded, "Yeah. Is my mom here?"

"I don't know, Ben. Go wait outside," Jaina told him as she stood up. "Where's Davin?"

"The crew cabin," he said. Jaina then rushed down the hall. She stabbed the door control with her finger and shoved through the door. She froze. She wasn't prepared for the sight inside.

Davin was lying on a bunk, legs covered with a blanket. He was unconscious. A blood-soaked bandage covered one side of his head. His arm was in a temporary sling. Syal was seated on the floor next to his bunk, one hand on his small shoulder. Jaina stumbled in the room. Syal moved out of the way as Jaina bent over the bed.

"Davin?" she said weakly, lower lip trembling. Her fingers caressed his cheek.

"Tahiri put him in a healing trance," Syal explained. Her cheeks were tear-stained. If she had any injuries, they were hidden. Jaina gently scooped up her son in her arms and turned to leave.

She didn't remember walking through the ship. She didn't remember laying him on one of the hover gunrays. She didn't remember walking into the medward. All she could focus on was her injured son. She cursed her lack of proficiently with healing. She felt completely helpless.

"Colonel Solo-Fel, we need you to wait out here," one of the medics told her. Jaina nodded numbly. She was vaguely aware of a hand gripping her elbow and guiding her to a chair in the waiting room. She stood up immediately as Jag walked through a different set of doors and into the waiting room. Jaina rushed over to him and he pulled her to him.

"Where's Ani?" she asked, clutching his forearms.

"She has a mild concussion, but she'll be okay. She's sleeping," he told her, relief in his eyes, "What about Davin?"

A sob escaped her throat as she started to speak, "I-I don't know."


	14. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

The medward was a flurry of activity late into the night. The waiting room was packed with worried parents and friends. Telma removed her blood-soaked gloves and smock and threw them into small incinerator. She had just completed her third surgery of the day on a small human girl, removing shrapnel from her side and arm.

"Who's next?" Telma asked the orderly standing near the doorway.

"Davin Fel, Operating Room 4," she said as she glanced at her list.

Telma paused: Jag's son. She didn't realize he'd been hurt. She hurried into the next operating chamber. She snatched his file from the compartment just inside the room. _Broken left radius. Shrapnel in arm. Laceration on skull. Fractured left femur. Bruising on left kidney. _

Davin was lying on a bed with a bactacast on his leg. His arm was wrapped in a sling. A bacta bandage covered his hand. Telma quickly put on sterile gloves, smock and mask while a team prepped the boy. She picked up the necessary tools and began to work. A large shard of shrapnel was wedged in his forearm. She worked quickly, taking care of all the tiny shards that were left behind. She then reset the bone and applied a bactacast.

"What room are you taking him to?" she asked one of the nurses as she removed her soiled gear and threw them out. She moved to the sink to wash her hands.

"I was going to put him in his sister's room."

Telma blinked in surprise, "What's wrong with her?"

"No idea," the medic said as she and a Mon Calamari began pushing the bed from the room. Telma didn't respond. She wiped sweat off her brow as she raced to the waiting room. She found Jag easily. He was sitting on one of the benches against a far wall. Jaina was leaning against him.

"Jag," Telma called quietly. He looked up, surprised to see her. "I just finished with Davin. He's fine."

The relief was evident on Jaina and Jag's faces.

"What's wrong with him?" Jaina asked.

"His left arm and leg are broken. He had a piece of shrapnel in his arm and a gash on his forehead. He'll be okay," Telma explained. "I'll take you to him."

"Thank you," Jag said. "Do you know where Ani is? We haven't been allowed to see her."

"Davin is being put in her room. Is she okay?" Telma asked, motioning for Jaina and Jag to follow her through the doors.

"Yes, a concussion. They're keeping her for observation. I don't know why we can't see her," Jag responded, eyes narrowing.

Telma didn't have a response to that. She led them through the hallways into a small room at the end of a corridor. "I'll be down the hall if you need me."

"Mama! Daddy!" Ani squealed as they walked in. She tried to move off the bed, but Jaina stopped her. She sat down on the bed and wrapped her arms around the girl. Jag went over to check on Davin.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Jaina asked.

"My head hurts," she whimpered.

Jaina brushed Ani's hair from her eyes, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Lay down, sweetie, so I can make it feel better."

Jag went over to Ani's bed. He pulled her into a tight hug, and then gently lay her back on the bed, "We'll be here when you wake up."

"'Kay."

Jag kissed her as Jaina rested a hand on her tiny forehead. She closed her eyes and placed Ani in a healing trance.

"She can't feel any pain," Jag stated as they moved away from their sleeping daughter.

"No," Jaina stated as she sat down in the chair next to Davin's bed. "And he's still out from the anesthesia."

Jag ran his fingers over Davin's brow, careful to avoid the bandage. His face was clean of dirt, but small scrapes and bruises marred his skin. While in the waiting room, Tahiri had come in and told them what happened. An unidentified attack group appeared around Shelter. They made no demands; just started attacking. Davin and Ani had been in one of the training rooms when the attack started. A chunk of the wall exploded. A piece of it landed on Davin. Ani had fallen, knocked her head into a table. The details of their escape were still sketchy.

A groan escaped Davin's lips. He opened his eyes, "Mommy? Daddy?"

"We're right here, son. How are you feeling?" Jag asked as he sat on the edge of the bed. Davin tried to sit up, but Jag stopped him. "Lie still."

"My leg and arm and head hurt," he mumbled.

Jaina touched his forehead, "I know, baby. Let me make you feel better. Close your eyes and take a couple deep breaths."

Davin nodded and closed his eyes as Jaina put him in a healing trance. The echoes of pain left his face. Jaina's eyes met Jag's and the tears began rolling down her cheeks. Jag pulled Jaina over to his chair so she could sit on his lap. She clutched his shirt as he rubbed her back. He squeezed his eyes shut as a couple tears leaked through his lids. They sat there for hours, listening the slow breathing of their two children.

Davin's squeal echoed through the training room as he raced around the room in his hover chair. Ben ran from him, laughing as he tried to avoid capture. Ani giggled from her spot on the floor next to Han. She wasn't allowed to run around yet. Han had volunteered to keep an eye on the kids while Jaina, Jag, Luke, Mara and Leia met with the rest of the Jedi. Syal and Myri Antilles were also there. They were sitting on the floor some distance away, looking at their datapads. After about five minutes, Han decided that he and Leia's apartment was too small for several rowdy children and moved them to the training room.

"Myri! Syal! Come on!" Ben yelled as he ran by. The girls rolled their eyes, as if they were too old for such games. Davin whizzed by, almost running into the girls.

"Davin, slow down," Han warned.

"But Grandpa, I got to catch Ben! He's a Rebel!" Davin whined as he slowed.

"You want to catch a Rebel? Did your dad teach you that game?" Han asked.

"No, Grandpa 'Tir did," Davin told him.

"Figures," Han muttered, rolling his eyes. "Why don't you take a break? Come here and I'll tell you a good story about Rebels and Imperials."

"The one where the Imperials won?" Davin asked.

"No! One where we beat those Imps down," Han told him.

"In the _Falcon_?" Ani asked as she scrambled onto his lap.

"Yeah, in the _Falcon_. Come here, Syal and Myri. Your dad's in this one too," Han called. The two girls walked over to Han and sat down across from him.

Sometime later, Wedge, Leia, Jaina, Jag and Mara entered the room.

"Daddy, Grandpa says that the Rebels beat the Imperials," Davin called out. Leia and Jaina glared at Han.

"Han! Quit confusing him," Leia admonished.

"Hey, Soontir has had years to fill him with Imperial propaganda. I deserve some time too," Han replied indignantly.

"Dad," Jaina said exasperated as she and Jag gathered their kids together.

"Fine, fine. How was the meeting?" Han asked Leia.

"As well as expected," Leia said vaguely. She watched as Mara, Jaina and Jag took Davin, Ani, Syal and Myri out of the room.

"They're going to the Hapes Cluster," Leia said, once all the children were out of the room. "Jaina, Jag and Mara are accompanying them."

"Jag is going to have a hell of a time pulling Jaina away," Han commented as he stood up.

"Mhm," Leia agreed.

"There's something else," Han stated knowingly.

"Your son-in-law is up to something," Leia told him, offering him a hand.

Instead of rising, Han pulled her down to sit next to him. He wrapped an arm around her as she leaned against him. "My son-in-law? I never claimed him."

"Be nice," Leia admonished. "Wedge told me Jag had come up with some plan."

"So? He is always coming up with new tactics," Han shot back as he began rubbing her shoulders.

Leia rolled her eyes. "This is different. Wedge didn't give me all the details, but it sounds like he is going to try to recruit former captives."

"Good luck," Han scoffed. "It'll never work."

"You don't even know what he plans to do."

"Doesn't matter. The military has been trying to recruit refugees and captives for years," Han pointed out.

"Wedge thinks it could work."

"Wedge is an eternal optimist."

Leia glared at him, "Really. If I didn't know better, Han, I would think you cared."

"Good thing you do," Han said with a smirk. "I'd hate to ruin my reputation."

Jag ran a hand through his hair as he leaned against the wall in his and Kyp's office. Kyp wasn't in there at the moment, something Jag was thankful for. He needed a couple minutes alone to reorganize his thoughts. He'd just met with heads of Intelligence and military.

His plan had been approved, so long as he yielded positive results in a timely fashion. He had been given a list of liberated Yuuzhan Vong captives. The odds of actually locating the captives were slim. He was going to start with those still aboard the base.

It would have to wait, though. He was spending the rest of the day with Davin, Ani and Jaina. Tomorrow they were taking the children to the Hapes Cluster with the rest of the Jedi. They were riding separate from Syal, Cem and Wyn. Jag's siblings had been offered positions in the military, but they had decided they would rather help settle the children.

Jag jumped as the door opened. Kyp walked in. He dropped a pile of datacards on his desk before collapsing in his chair. "What are you doing here, Jag? I figured you would be chasing Davin down the hallways."

"What do you mean?"

"Your son tried to run me over," Kyp stated with a grin. "Han and Syal were trying to catch him."

"That chair was supposed to be returned today," Jag stated, shaking his head.

"They were heading toward the Medward."

"Did he succeed?"

"In what? Running me over? Almost. Never seen a hover chair move like that," Kyp quipped, propping his feet up on the desk.

Jag grinned, "Good."

"If you say so," Kyp answered. He picked up a datacard from the desk and threw it to Jag, who caught it. "There's the latest sims. I need the usual; problems, mistakes, if a pilot does something funny."

"Understood," Jag responded. "Ragen's hyperdrive has already been replaced. The rest of the fighters have passed routine inspection."

"Is the carbon scoring off my S-foils? I would hate for the Vong to see dirty wings," Kyp said with a smirk.

Jag raised an eyebrow, "Go scrub it yourself, Durron."

"Now what's the point of being the head of a squadron if I have to the dirty work. ? That's what I have you for," Kyp drawled.

Jag gave Kyp a look. He pocketed the datacard and waved, "Goodbye, Kyp."

Jag exited the office to head to his quarters. He stopped in the mess hall to pick up their dinner. He'd complete the sims evaluation when everyone was asleep. He wasn't wasting his limited time with his family on work.

The sounds of giggling met his ears as he entered his quarters. Davin was sitting on the floor, sending his spaceship models flying through the air. Upon seeing his father, Davin let the ships fall as he scrambled from the ground and tackled Jag.

"Davin, be careful," Jag said as he placed the bag with their dinner on the table.

"My bones are all fixed. Telma said so," Davin stated. "Mommy used the Force to make them heal faster."

"And we'd like to keep it that way," Jag told him.

Davin let out a dramatic sigh, "Okay."

Ani tugged on Jag's pants leg. "Daddy, what's that?"

Jag scooped Ani up and tossed her in the air. She giggled as he caught her. "Put me down!"

"Jag, what are you doing?" Jaina asked as she entered the room.

"Save me, Mama!" Ani exclaimed in a fit of giggles.

"Oh, I don't know. I think she's fine. What do you think, Davin?"

Davin shook his head, "She is."

Ani scrambled down from Jag's arms. She put her hands on her hips and glared, "I said to put me down, Daddy."

"Now who did you learn that from?" Jag asked, laughing.

"Mommy and Grandma Leia."

Jaina burst out laughing, causing Ani to look confused. She leaned over and kissed Ani's forehead, "Smart girl."

Jag stood on a dais above the refugee chamber. Telma stood next to him. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back. In ten minutes, he would speak to a group of various refugees about his plan. He closed his eyes in thought. He had no problem speaking to pilots about an upcoming skirmish or cutting down a recruit. Speaking to real people, however, was much more difficult. It felt like there was a dogfight in his stomach.

"Relax," Telma said. "Focus."

He took a deep breath, but it didn't work. "I'll feel better once this is over."

"Perhaps you should have asked your mother-in-law for some tips," Telma quipped.

Jag eyed her, "Princess Leia has a natural grace and regal bearing that back her phenomenal public speaking skills. I'd be embarrassed to even attempt practicing a speech in front of her."

"And your mother is Wynssa Starflare," Telma replied with a chuckle.

Jag ignored her and glanced at his wrist chrono. "It's time."

Jag and Telma left the dais and walked out of the chamber. It was a short walk to the meeting hall. About 50 beings sat in the room. Jag recognized Britna, seated in the back. He gave her a polite nod.

"I'm sure you all are wondering why you were asked to attend this meeting. The Galactic Alliance has sent representatives from their military to encourage you to enlist. They offer you an opportunity to strike back at the Yuuzhan Vong, be it through actual fighting, providing medical relief or other services. They send counselors to tell us how to cope with the horrors we've seen," Jag began. He took a step closer to the crowd seated in the rows of chairs. "I think we can all agree how ineffective they are."

A slight chuckle sounded through the chamber, which helped ease Jag's nerves a bit.

"Like the rest of you, I was a captive of the Yuuzhan Vong. This is Telma; she was with me," Jag nodded at Telma, and then continued, "We have all been on the inside. We've seen just how strong the Vong are. We've toiled in fields, tending to the very coralskippers that destroy our galaxy. The slave implants inserted into our bodies forced us to tend the amphistaffs that would later kill our brethren.

"We are all here today because we found a way to survive. By surviving, we fought back at the Vong." Jag stepped closer, "I'd like to offer you all another chance to fight back; a way to fight back without going through military channels. Not everyone is a soldier, but each is strong. The Yuuzhan Vong have planets dedicated to supplying their warriors. Their resources are cultivated by slaves.

"By working together, we can turn the spoils stolen from our galaxy into the Vong's undoing. By using those bonds that solidify the Vong's hold on our galaxy, we can expel them from our homes and be free."


	15. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen  
Three months later**

Dirt flew through the air as explosions rocked the ground. Valin rolled beneath a low alcove as chunks of earth landed around him. Luke slid in next to him. They shifted so their backs pressed against each other. Valin took a few cleansing breaths as Luke used the Force to move the boulder blocking their escape route.

"On three," Luke ordered. Valin moved to a crouch and balanced on the balls of his feet.

"Three," Luke said. They vaulted out of the alcove. Valin ignited his lightsaber and swung it to the left to knock a rock out of the way. He and Luke ran to the cleared doorway. Luke stepped through it; Valin dropped and rolled over the threshold. Thud bugs flew overhead. Luke's green blade slashed through the creatures, their smoking parts landing on the ground. Valin remained kneeling, pulling out a blaster and shooting the bugs. Once the barrage stopped, they turned back to run through the broken, outdoor hallway.

Luke unclipped his comlink from his belt and thumbed it on, "Are you ready, Jacen?"

"Everyone's aboard."

Luke switched off the comlink and attached it to his belt as they ran. They wound their way through the stone corridors. As they turned a corner, Luke froze. He whirled around and began running his hand over the wall.

"Someone's behind here," he said. His hand paused over the lower portion of the wall. He pointed to Valin's lightsaber. "You cut; I'll move it."

Valin stretched out with the Force. He could feel a diminishing presence behind the wall. He ignited his blade, inserting it into the stone. He began to carefully cut into the wall, working from the top down. He was grateful that the rock was weak.

Luke moved the final piece of stone away to reveal a small female Togruta. Luke scooped the child in his arms, and motioned for Valin to follow him. Valin ran after his master, concentrating on their escape. The shuttle wasn't much farther.

Another explosion ripped through the air, knocking Valin and Luke sideways. They were able to regain their bearings quickly and ran out of the corridor. They arrived in a field where a large SoroSuub shuttle sat. The ramp was lowered and Jacen stood outside, waving them forward.

"Come on! Hurry!" Jacen shouted. Valin and Luke sprinted the short distance. The ramp began to close as they climbed aboard.

"Valin, take her," Luke said, passing him the child. He then followed Jacen to the cockpit.

The girl looked at Valin with wide, frightened blue eyes, "Where am I? Where's my parents?"

"We're taking you somewhere safe," Valin assured her, avoiding her questions. He walked into the crowded hold. It was full of disheveled beings. He found a spot on a bench to put her down and sent a comforting wave through the Force. He then ran into the cockpit. Luke glanced back at him from the pilot's seat.

"Is she okay?" he asked as he pulled back on the yoke. The shuttle rose from the ground.

"She's fine," Valin stated as he strapped into the seat behind Luke's. Captain Ava Black of the Galactic Alliance sat in the co-pilot's chair. Jacen was calculating a hyperspace route at the navigator's station.

"Once we jump, go to her," Luke instructed.

Valin didn't respond. He knew better than to question Luke's orders these days. He listened quietly as Kyp's voice came over the comm.

"Flight Two is going to escort you out, Jedi One. 'Skips are pretty heavy out here."

"Acknowledged," Black stated into the comm. Luke pushed the shuttle forward through the atmosphere. The Dozen and Blackmoon were covering their escape. It looked like, to Valin, that the rest of the Alliance was busy with a large frigate.

"Jedi One, turn starboard 45 degrees," Jag called.

"Thanks, Dozen Two," Luke responded. He maneuvered the shuttle. Valin could see a somewhat clear path in front of them. Luke expertly avoided plasma bolts as they raced forward. Valin could hear the pounding of the side gun turret.

"Coordinates are set," Jacen stated. "Jump as soon as we are out of the planet's gravity well."

Valin gripped the seat of his chair in apprehension. He hated not being able to do anything. He winced as a plasma bolt arced around the cockpit. Luke threw the shuttle through a series of twists and turns as he put more distance between them and the planet.

Jacen flipped the hyperspace level the second they were past the planet's gravity well. Luke sank back in his chair, and then turned to Valin. Valin knew that look. He unhooked his restraints and walked to the back of the ship to deal with the child. What he was supposed to do with her, he didn't know.

He chalked it up to another Skywalker learning experience.

Jag walked briskly from his quarters aboard the Mon Calamari cruiser _Red Sky_. Two hours ago, Luke's shuttle had rendezvoused with the rest of the attack group over Ithor's barren wasteland. They were in hyperspace once again, heading to Bespin. Jag was on his way to meet with Luke and Jacen.

They had achieved moderate success with a raid on Gaftikar in the Outer Rim. It was near the Hydian Way. The world was sparsely populated with under one billion inhabitants, both human and Marits. The fertile world was ideal for the Yuuzhan Vong to cultivate war machinery.

Three months ago, Jag had proposed that the Galactic Alliance infiltrate slave worlds with trained operatives. The operatives would work with the captives to increase their morale and teach them subtle ways to fight the Vong. Telma and Danni had developed a type of toxin that would slow the growth of the slave seeds. Unfortunately, hiding the toxin from the Vong was an obstacle. This was the first operation.

Seven operatives had been dropped on the planet. Five of them were from the Intelligence division, while the other two were former captives. Nhla Blanc and Dirk Levenger had been in the refugee camp on Bespin. Nhla was a captive on Borelais for six months before escaping. Levenger had been on Myrkr for two years. He had been working on a Shaper transport that was ambushed. Both had volunteered for the operation immediately.

All the operatives were trained in psychological methods, survival techniques and other skills before being deployed. They had undergone extreme psychological tests, some probably against ethical codes. The tests were necessary, however, for the beings to survive.

Jag entered the small meeting room. Jacen was seated at the table, looking over a datapad. He placed it face down on the table when Jag sat across from him.

"Luke is on his way," Jacen told him. His expression was unreadable. He hadn't been a large supporter of Jag's plan, but he had pledged his support. Jag suspected it was Jacen's way of monitoring the situation.

Luke entered the room, brown cloak billowing behind him. He sat down one seat away from Jacen. He placed a datacard on the table and slid it to Jag. "Here's the list of refugees."

"Thank you," Jag said as he took the card and placed it into his datapad. He skimmed the list. All of the rescued captives had been asked their name and basic information on their ships. Jag planned to organize that information to locate beings who would be best for the operation. "Any problems?"

Luke shook his head as he leaned back in his chair, "No more than usual."

"And the operatives are in the camps?" Jag asked.

"Yes."

"I wanted to thank you for permitting us to accompany you on your mission," Jag said.

"Happy to help," Luke responded. He then leaned forward and then began discussing the ground assault. Jacen contributed with a few small comments, but offered little opinion or observations. Jag then discussed the space combat.

After the meeting concluded, Luke walked out of the room. Jacen followed him and paused at the door, "I hope you know what you are doing, Jag."

He slipped through the door. Jag paused; he had been gathering datacards. What Jacen meant by that comment was a mystery. He didn't have time to dwell on it, though. They were reverting to realspace in less than an hour and he had preparations to make.

Two muscular, scarred arms wrapped around her. A smile spread across Jaina's face. She had sensed him approaching before he entered their quarters, but waited for him to make the first move. She was sitting at the table in the main room of their apartment, working on a training exercise analysis. She tilted her head back, "Welcome back."

"I missed you," Jag said, his voice hoarse.

"I missed you, too. You were gone too long," she said. Two weeks apart from each other felt like an eternity these days. She pulled his arms tighter around her. He placed a slow, lingering kiss at the pulse point on her neck, eliciting a gasp from her.

Jaina pulled away from him and stood. Jag reached out to her and drew her back to him. His lips caught hers in a slow, sensual kiss. One arm wrapped around her waist while the other hand held the back of her head. Jag pulled away long enough for only a moment's breath. Her mouth opened, letting him in. She moaned in protest as he moved away from her mouth and kissed along her jaw. He stopped briefly behind her ear and the moved slowly down her neck to her collarbone.

The comlink in Jag's pocket blared. Her head hit his collarbone with a groan. "You better answer that."

Jag snatched it out of his pocket. He turned it off and tossed it onto the table. Jaina was shocked, "That could be important."

"I doubt it," he growled. He pulled her to him again. He slipped his fingers into the waistband of her pants. "This is much more important."

"Is it?" she murmured as he tugged her forward.

He nodded, "Mhm."

She reached up and quickly opened the buttons on his top of his shirt. She brushed her fingers over his lips. He kissed her fingertips, and moved his lips down to her palm. She bit her lip as she smiled. He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. She stared at him through her thick lashes.

"You're beautiful," he whispered and pulled her into their bedroom.

Jag toyed with several strands of Jaina's hair. Her head was pillowed against his shoulder. She shifted in her sleep, nuzzling his shoulder. The sheet slipped down her arm; he tugged it back up.

Dark circles were under her eyes. Her hair was slightly duller than he'd remembered. She was exhausted; that much was obvious. Before he had left on his mission, they had been working non-stop. They're only reprieve had been a month ago when they traveled to Phelope for Ani's birthday. Jag and Jaina had been adamant about being able to leave for the event.

Jag smiled softly. He and Jaina had spent four days with Davin and Ani. He'd enlisted the help of his in-laws in obtaining gifts for Ani. He hadn't been able to say no to her the entire trip.

On the first night of his return, once they were alone, he asked Jaina about Ani's birth. She had recounted the events for him.

_Jaina sat on the floor in the living area of her quarters at Shelter. Davin sat next to her, pushing toy YT-1600 light stock freighter around the floor. Her lower back had ached all day. She closed her eyes, exhausted. She hadn't slept well since Jag's disappearance. Between her own worry and anxiety and Davin's confusion and questions, she had reached an unhealthy level of stress. She'd been warned that it was important for her to relax, for the baby's sake. _

_Her stomach tightened. She rested her hand against her stomach. She clenched her teeth, trying to will the pain away. It dissipated slowly. She reached out to try to relax her clenched muscles when realization hit her. She was in labor. _

_Leia, who had refused to leave Shelter because of Jaina, flew into the room upon sensing her daughter's distress. Davin looked confused and scared. Leia took them to small med ward. Jaina had demanded that Leia stay with Davin to shield him. She didn't want him to sense the pain. She had also decided that she would give birth with only the medic present. She argued that if her husband couldn't be there, no one would._

_Hours later, Ani entered the world with a mere whimper. Jaina collapsed on the bed. Her face was drenched with sweat and tears. The medic placed Ani in her arms. The baby didn't cry. She merely stared at Jaina with wide eyes. Jaina ran her fingers over the baby's soft skin._

"_Your father would love you so much."_

After Jaina had told him the tale, he had tried to apologize, but she wouldn't have it. Jag knew he would never stop feeling guilty. He'd missed everything with Ani. At least Davin had been able to have early memories of his father.

Jaina sighed in her sleep. Jag smiled softly. Their relationship had improved considerably over the past couple months. It wasn't perfect, but they were getting better each day. Granted, they had spent a decent amount of that time apart.

He stopped playing with her hair and stared at her. He still found her complete breath-taking. The worry lines and tension had disappeared from her face as she slept. Her full lips were slightly parted. He shifted closer to her, and then she opened her eyes.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey, go back to sleep," he said gently.

"In a minute," she said. Her eyes fell half-closed. She opened them a few moments later, smiling softly.

"How are they?"

"Good. Ani's still asleep. Davin is awake, though," she said. "It's insanely early on Phelope. He gets that from you, you know. Your mother said you were always an early riser."

Jag chuckled. He pulled her so she lay on top of him. Her hair fell into his face. She tucked some of it behind her ear. She kissed him quickly, and then dropped her chin to his chest, "Who called earlier?"

"No idea."

"Why Jag, that's quite rebellious of you," Jaina said with a chuckle.

"Not rebellious, just prioritizing."

"Prioritizing?"

"Yes, spending time with my wife is much more important," Jag responded quietly. Jaina smiled, and then moved to kiss him.

"Thank the Force you have your priorities straight."


	16. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**  
Jag stood with his hands clasped behind his back as he stared at the beings in the large training room. Originally built to be a maintenance hanger, it had been transformed into a rudimentary terrain training ground. The idea was to train the former captives in military exercises to help boost their personal survival skills.

Moreover, it satisfied the heads of the military. They had expressed concern that civilians couldn't do a job meant for trained operatives.

The room shook as a sonic detonator exploded. The shock disrupted the piles of dirt, knocking onto beings who had fallen on the floor. Jag picked himself up and stumbled forward. Synthesized Vong threats sounded through small speakers.

Jag hated this training. It was unnecessary and melodramatic. If they were entering an infantry, it'd be practical. These beings were not. They were infiltrating slave dormitories, not destroying a damtuk or raiding a city. In addition, they had already been through the environment before.

Eli, a Rodian male, stumbled forward to meet Jag as he exited the training ground. He rubbed his left knee with one hand before speaking. "Do I pass?"

"The physical portion."

"Heard the psychological tests are a joke," Eli scoffed.

Jag shrugged, "I haven't sat in on a session in a month."

"Either way, it'll be easy," Eli said with a shrug. "I'll see you around, Jag."

Jag gave a small wave and glanced back out at the grounds. He heard footsteps behind him a few minutes later, but didn't turn. He could see his brother-in-law stop next to him in his peripheral vision. "Hello, Jacen."

"Jag."

Jag glanced at his brother-in-law. His arms were crossed over his chest. His jaw was set and eyes look agitated. Jag withheld an annoyed sigh. While Jag appreciated Jacen's assistance, the younger man's constant criticism and warnings drove him crazy.

"Still haven't managed to convince those in charge to stop this?" Jacen asked.

"No. I've managed to negotiate down training time requirements," Jag told him. He thought Jacen already knew that.

"I overheard Eli say he was going with the next group."

Jag nodded. He wondered what it was that Jacen wanted. He hated these circular conversations.

"He said he's prepared to die."

"Yes," Jag said simply, waiting for Jacen's rebuttal.

"Is that what they are trained to believe? They aren't soldiers or fighter pilots," Jacen ranted. "They have nothing. That's why they've been selected, isn't it? It doesn't matter if they die."

"You have no idea what you are talking about, Jacen," Jag snapped, patience rapidly thinning.

Telma ran up to Jag just then, ending the conversation between the two men. Jacen duck his head towards Telma and then left the chamber. Jag ignored his exit, grateful the exchange was over, and took the datapad Telma was handing to him. He glanced over the screen.

"You came up with a solution?"

"Finally," she replied with a grin. "Come on, Danni is waiting."

He found her sitting in the mess hall, poking at her lunch. He hadn't necessary been looking for her, but was pleased to see her. Her brown hair was pulled into a messy bun. Tendrils framed her worn face. Jacen could see a mild burn slightly hidden by the short sleeve of her shirt.

"May I?" Jacen asked after approaching her table.

"Oh, hi, Jacen. Go ahead," Britna said, looking up. She gestured for him to join her.

"What happened to your arm?" he asked as he sat down next to her.

"Oh, that. Training accident. It's nothing," she mumbled, stabbing a piece of meat on her fork.

"I didn't know you were going through with it," Jacen commented with surprise. She didn't seem like the type of person to undergo such a task.

"I haven't decided yet. I want to help, but the thought of going back there…" she trailed off, shuddering. "I'm not ready to die."

"What do you mean, ready to die?" Jacen asked with concern.

Britna pursed her lips. She picked up her glass of water and emptied it before responding. "We all know that if we offer ourselves back to the Vong, we are probably going to die. I'm not ready for that yet. I almost died already! I don't want to do it again."

"Are you being forced into it?" Jacen asked, irritation rising inside of him.

"Yes and no. A bunch of the other captives that stayed are pushing everyone to do it. Telma is developing items with Danni Quee to increase the success rate. You can't go to the refugee camp without hearing about the operation. I almost feel like a traitor for being indecisive," Britna explained. "But the people in charge tell us it's our choice."

Jacen hesitated, and then slipped an arm around her shoulders, "Don't let anyone tell you what to do."

"It's just so hard hearing it all the time," she said quietly as she slumped against him. "It's not like I can get away from it. I don't know what happened to my family. I'm not going to go one of those deathtrap refugee ships; that's just asking to die a long, slow miserable death.

"So many of the volunteers are ready to die. They think it's a necessary sacrifice to win the war."

Anger boiled in his veins. He understood the necessity of sacrifice. He hadn't forgotten Ganner Rhysode's sacrifice enabling him to escape Yuuzhan'tar. Nor would he ever forget Anakin's sacrifice to destroy the voxyn cloning tissue. A familiar stab of pain stabbed his heart. He took a deep breath and shoved the grief deep into his mind.

It was wrong, convincing others to die. The military did it all the time and Jacen didn't approve of that. When soldiers signed up, they knew what their fate would most likely be death. Civilians, especially ones who had undergone several trials, shouldn't be forced to make such decisions. The fact that his own brother-in-law was orchestrating this increased his anger. How could his sister stand for it? Jag was manipulating innocent beings!

"Jacen? I've got to go," Britna said as she pulled away from him.

"Oh, sorry," he said as he stood up.

"Thank you," Britna said, kissing his cheek. She then picked up her tray and rushed from the hall.

Jacen barely noticed his hand touching his cheek as he watched her retreat. He had to talk to Jaina.

"Jaina!" Jacen called. She glanced over her shoulder. She was kneeling on the hanger floor, cleaning her astromech. Jacen stooped under the X-Wing to stand next to her. "What, exactly, is your husband thinking?"

Jaina groaned. When Jag had described his plan to her, she knew Jacen would have a problem with it even though he had agreed to assist Jag. He wanted to make sure no "funny business" occurred. "Shouldn't you be having this conversation with him?"

"He won't listen to me."

"You think he'll listen to me?" Jaina asked, picking up a clean rag from her cleaning kit.

Jacen shot her a look, "Come on, Jaina."

Jaina sighed. She was not in the mood to fight with him, but knew he wouldn't relent. They were both far too stubborn to back down. She dropped her rag and rubbed her forehead as she said, "Okay, Jacen, what did he do now?"

"He's putting these captives through immoral tests and prepping them for their deaths. He's turning this into suicide missions. He's glorified sacrifice like-"

"Don't even finish that sentence, Jacen Solo," she responded, jumping up. Squeaker made a worried tone. She and Jacen disagreed about several moral issues, but this was inexcusable. "That's an unfair judgment and I will not stand for it."

Jacen closed his mouth and stepped back. Jaina's eyes blazed with fury. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides. Her eyes narrowed, "Not everyone can live up to your extreme moral code, Jacen. Jag understands the people he works with. Do you actually think that he would warp someone's mind? Do you think I would stand for it?"

"Jaina, I-"

"No, let me finish. My husband spends hours talking to his volunteers. He asks them where they came from, about their families. Those two operatives you helped, Nhla and Dirk, spent countless hours working with Jag. Nhla's daughter just got married a month ago. We witnessed the wedding," Jaina said. "They know what they are getting into. He is not manipulating them and the fact that you think that is not only an insult to him, but to me and our children."

Jacen was speechless. Jaina crossed her arms over her chest. She stared at him, unwavering. He finally averted his gaze, "I'm sorry, Jaina."

Jaina continued to glare at him. A simple apology wasn't going to make things right after his accusations. "I want an explanation. Now."

She watched as Jacen shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he responded, "I'm not one of your kids, Jaina."

Her eyes flashed, "Jacen…"

He finally gave in, as Jaina knew he would do. He usually gave in first when they argued, "I talked with Britna today."

A slow smirk appeared on her face. "You like her."

"What?" Jacen responded, looking baffled.

"You like her," Jaina repeated, not surprised of his cluelessness."You like her and you don't like her participating in this operation. I'm not sure why you are worried. The last I heard, she hasn't expressed any desire to join the program."

"I-I.." Jacen trailed off. "Jaina, I'm so sorry."

Jaina smirked. It all made sense. Britna had been burned the other day. Jacen must have found out and it triggered his protectiveness into overdrive. Britna had been apprehensive about joining. It didn't excuse Jacen's remarks, but Jaina at least understood his reaction.

She ran a hand through her hair, "Jacen, do you really believe what you said?"

"No, Jaina. I had no right to insult your husband," he responded sincerely. Jaina could not feel any deceit from him. She still wasn't happy about it, but was willing to let it go, for now. "Thank you."

She knelt back down to clean her astromech. She grinned to herself and then asked, "What are you going to do about Britna?"

"Nothing," Jacen responded quickly.

"You should tell her," Jaina advised, picking up her cloth. She smiled gently at Squeaker as she wiped his dome clean.

"There's nothing to tell," Jacen claimed, sitting on the floor next to her droid.

Jaina raised an eyebrow, "Uh huh."

"Drop it, Jaina," Jacen warned.

Jaina turned to face him. He was so difficult. "Whatever, Jacen."

Jacen stayed a few more minutes in silent contemplation before leaving. Jaina finished cleaning Squeaker shortly after he left. Most of her anger had subsided, but it still hurt. She hated that Jacen had had those thoughts about her husband.

"Hey, sweetheart."

Jaina turned and smiled. She wiped the last smudge of dirt from her fingers and put down the rag as Jag walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple. "What are you up to?"

Jaina wrapped her arms around his neck, "I'm meeting Kyp in fifteen minutes to spar."

Jag leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. She smiled as he pulled away. He pushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. "Think I could persuade you to be a couple minutes late?"

Jaina grinned. She was grateful that they had been able to reclaim the flirty, playful attitude they had in their early courtship. "We wouldn't want to hurt Kyp's feelings."

"He'll get over it," Jag said huskily. He placed a kiss along her jawbone.

"You're in an awfully good mood," she observed. She bit her lower lip as he pulled her closer.

"Mhm," he responded. He caught her lips in a long, passionate kiss. Jaina clutched the back of his shirt as she opened her mouth to him.

They rested their foreheads together a few moments later as they regained their breath.

"You still have five minutes," Jag murmured a few minutes later.

Jaina chuckled as she stepped back, "You're going to have to wait until later."

"I wish I could," Jag said with a sigh. "I promised Telma and Danni I'd go to the lab, then I've have patrol."

"I thought the Dozen had tomorrow morning?" Jaina asked, arms still wrapped around his waist.

"The Aces are having mechanical troubles. Wes is giving Uncle Wedge hell over it," Jag explained. "They should be up and running by morning."

"I don't doubt it," Jaina responded with a chuckle, then sobered. "If the Aces aren't ready, you'll pull a double."

Jag grimaced, "I'll pass."

"Be careful," Jaina said as she laid her hand on his cheek.

"I always am."

"You want to do what?" Jaina asked with surprise. She was seated in the living area of Luke and Mara's quarters. She'd just arrived from her match with Kyp. Valin sat in the chair next to her.

Mara shot her a look, "You heard him. Your uncle wants to try to retake Yavin IV."

"You're insane," Jaina snapped. "Why do you want to do that?"

"Valin and I scouted the area. It's mainly a Shaper's complex. The fleet guarding the planet is small enough to be overtaken. The Vong have pulled out several troops," Luke explained. "Re-taking Yavin IV would increase moral."

"Plus we can save Sannah's people," Valin added earnestly.

"Sannah? From Yavin 8?" she asked.

"Yeah, she's suppose to undergo her changing and rejoin her people," Valin explained. Jaina then remembered that Sannah was a Melodie. When members of the species turned 20, they underwent a changing ceremony that turned them into underwater beings. "We don't know if any of her people are still alive, though."

"But why now?" Jaina asked.

"It's a system we can take. Yavin is the responsibility of the Jedi. You know how beneficial another system will be, regardless of strategic value. It's not all about the military, Jaina," Luke explained.

"Okay, I understand that, but why am I here?" Jaina asked. She wanted Yavin IV back almost as much as Luke did. It had been her home for years. She missed the humid jungles, the moss-covered ziggurats and watching Yavin set in the horizon. She knew the Vong had changed the planet, but she hoped that some of it remained. The entire world had already been living. She wished that the Vong liked it enough to keep it normal. She had never told anyone, but she wanted to show Jag, Davin and Ani the planet one day.

"I'm putting together two teams: one land and one aerial. I want you for it," Luke explained.

"Where do you want me?" she asked, leaning forward in her chair with clasped hands.

"In the air at first, but I have a feeling you'll be needed on the ground," Luke told her. "Corran is leading the aerial attack. He'll have more information for you."

"When are we launching?" she asked.

"Tomorrow morning. I have it on good authority that the largest frigate is leaving the system. The rest of the Jedi are meeting us just outside the system," Luke looked apologetic. "I'm sorry it's such short notice."

"Don't worry about it," Jaina said waving dismissively.

"Thanks, Jaina. I imagine you need to make preparations," Luke said. Jaina stood up and said goodbye.

"I'll walk you out," Mara said, following Jaina. Once they were out of earshot, Mara asked, "I haven't had the chance to ask you, how's everything between you and Jag?"

Jaina smiled softly. Mara had asked her that question often. "We're doing much better, thank you. He's not going to like this, though."

"He'll get over it," Mara said with a knowing smirk.

Jaina furrowed her brow as a thought occurred to her, "I think a couple of Jag's agents are stationed there."

"Really?" Mara asked in surprise. "Why didn't Luke know that?"

"No idea. I'm not completely sure about that, but I'll find out."

"If that's the case, we need to redo the plans. Can you call him?"

"No, he's on patrol. I'll find Telma," Jaina said and rushed out the door. She wound her way through the residential hallways to the lab Telma frequented.

"Hey, Telma!" Jaina called as she entered the lab. She avoided the glares of the nearby scientists.

"Jaina! What are you doing here?" Telma asked as she looked up with surprise from a lab table she was working at.

"Sorry to disturb you, but I need some information and Jag's on patrol. I need to know if anyone was sent to Yavin IV," she asked.

"I…think so. Let me check," Telma responded. She turned back to the table and located a datacard. She inserted it into a datapad and scanned the screen.

"It looks like we sent two to Yavin IV a month ago," Telma told her. "Nichos and Stav. We haven't heard from them; no surprise there."

Telma pressed a few keys on the datapad. She removed the card, inserted another and copied the file. She handed it to Jaina, "Here's all their information."

"Thank you so much," Jaina said, tucking the card into her pocket. She left the lab in a hurry. She had to prepare for tomorrow.


	17. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

Tahiri stood in a doorway on the Phelope compound, watching raindrops puddle on the cobblestone pathway. She'd been fascinated by rain every since she first encountered it on Yavin IV. It had been her third morning on the planet. She had walked outside of the temple into the warm, humid air. Master Skywalker had been sitting on upturned stones near the temple entrance. He'd invited her to join him and they sat in the rain, discussing Tatooine. Tahiri would sit outside in the rain as often as she could, until Tionne told her not to. She was afraid Tahiri would fall ill. Since then, Tahiri would sit in alcoves and shelters to watch the rain.

"Tahiri?" Kam called from behind her.

"Yes, Master?" she responded as she turned to face him.

"We're ready to go," Kam told her. Tahiri nodded. She gave the rain one last parting look, and then followed Kam through the hallways of the compound to the landing field. She was accompanying several of the Jedi to Yavin IV. They were meeting Luke and Corran's groups just outside the Yavin system. Many of the Jedi wanted to help liberate the moon. Tahiri had been somewhat apprehensive about joining the team, but she knew she had to face her demons. Yavin IV had been the place of her Shaping. It was her home, after Tatooine. She had met Anakin Solo there. She had been turned into Riina. She had almost lost herself.

She had to go. She had to put the past to rest.

Jysella smiled at Tahiri as she approached the ship. She was carrying a crate of supplies. Tahiri noticed a small contingent of beings was standing off to the side, underneath an awning, to see them off. Ani waved her over.

"The children wanted to wish you good luck," Syal explained, clutching Ani and Davin's hands.

"Can you give this to Mama? Please?" Ani asked, handing Tahiri a folded piece of flimsi.

"Of course," Tahiri told the girl as she pocketed the flimsi and the datachip Davin handed to her.

"Thank you!" Ani said. She threw her arms around Tahiri's legs. "Good luck!"

"Thank you," Tahiri told the girl. She ruffled her hair. She was positive Ani had no idea what was going on, not that she should. "Be good."

"I will," the girl promised.

"You too, Davin," Tahiri told him.

Davin gave her a serious look, "Be careful."

Tahiri smiled at him, and then said her goodbyes. Davin knew something serious was going on, that was clear. She wondered how much he knew. Jaina had told her that he had overheard a conversation about Csilla; what else could he have heard?

Tahiri rushed through the rain and boarded the ramp. She found a seat in the main living area of the ship and strapped in. She took a deep breath.

It was time to go home.

Eleven pilots wearingly climbed out of their X-Wings and trudged out of the docking bay. Jag met Tycho just inside the main hallway leading from the bay. The Yellow Aces were unable to take their morning patrol, so the Dozen were forced to cover for them. Pulling double patrol was something no pilot enjoyed. Kyp had been called away five hours ago, leaving the squadron in Jag's care. Jag followed Tycho into a small office. It was a short report. There had been no anomalies, nor any unusual observations. The meeting was concluded in less than twenty minutes.

Jag was grateful he had no appointments or business to attend to for the next several hours. He on going to his quarters, see his wife and sleep. He didn't know what Kyp had been called away for; Kyp hadn't known either. Both men had assumed it was Jedi related. It was a common occurrence, enough to discourage much thought.

Jag entered his dark quarters, indicating that Jaina was not there. He walked into the bedroom and found a piece of flimsi resting on his pillow. He picked it and opened it. He recognized Jaina's handwriting.

_Jag,_

_I had hoped that I would see you before leaving, but events have conspired against us. Uncle Luke has decided to retake Yavin IV and asked me to participate. I can't refuse. I will be participating in both air and ground combat. Corran is leading the aerial attack, while Uncle Luke leads the ground attack. _

_We are meeting another group of Jedi outside the Yavin system. I'm not sure of the exact number. Telma gave me the information about Nichos and Stav. I will make sure they get out alive. _

_I have no way of knowing how long I will be gone, but I promise, I will return to you. I already miss you. Promise me you will be careful and I will do the same. _

_I love you, Jagged._

_-Jaina_

Jag reread the short letter as he sat down on the bed. He placed the piece of flimsi on the nightstand. and stared at it as he removed his boots. He was sure that this mission was what Kyp had been called away for. It made Jag feel somewhat better that the Jedi would be with Jaina. Nichos and Stav had been sent to Yavin at their own request. Both had been captives on Belkadan, and Stav's cousin had been a young Jedi killed early in the warJag rose from the bed to shower, undressing as he walked. His thoughts circled Jaina. She'd been throwing herself headfirst into danger since he met her. It didn't make it any easier for him. It petrified him to think that the last time he held her, he kissed her, could be the final time.

He smacked the controls on the shower and stepped in. Beads of water rolled down his back. He, like everyone else on the base, was grateful for running water. It had to be rationed, but it was better than a sonic shower.

His thoughts returned to Jaina as he stepped out of the shower. He dried off, dressed in a pair of sleep pants and went back to bed. His fingers brushed the indention on her pillow. They had spent far too much time apart recently, each out on separate missions. He awaited the day that they and the children could live somewhere together, in peace; his thoughts focused on such times in the past.

Jaina and Jag had been married on Mon Calamari by her uncle. Leia and Wedge had pulled a few strings to allow the newlyweds a brief respite. At the time, standing outside in a coral garden, he never thought Jaina had looked more beautiful. He was wrong.

He remembered with perfect clarity when she told him she was pregnant with Davin. She called him into their bedroom to sit with her. She had taken his hands in hers.

_Jaina stared down at the bed. Jag squeezed her hands reassuringly. He had no idea why she had called him in here. She had sounded nervous, which worried him. _

"_Jaina, love, what's wrong?" _

_She lifted her head to look at him. She took a deep breath, and then another. "Jag, I'm pregnant."_

_Joy, shock, amazement, excitement and elation coursed through his system. "Oh Jaina," he breathed, releasing her hands. He placed one hand on her stomach and the other cupped her cheek. He gave her a slow, tender kiss._

"_What are we going to do?" she asked fearfully. Tears had filled her brandy-brown eyes._

He had reassured her, promising her that it would all work out. He swore they would keep their chlid's life safe, no matter what. He had fallen more in love with her each day. They were together when she had gone into labor. Jag had stayed by her side the entire time and when Davin was placed into her arms, he'd fallen in love with her all over again.

Jag rolled over with a sigh. The more he thought about her, the more he missed her. He was grateful for his exhaustion. It was the only way he would be able to sleep without her lying next to him.

Nichos Avery wrapped a living bandage around the deep cut on his thumb. He had sliced it open working in the lambet field. He felt like he was adding another scar to his collection. He preferred working in the lambet fields to the villip fields he'd encountered on Belkadan. At least here he could stay dry. So far, he'd managed to keep a low profile. Becoming slaves again hadn't been hard. He and Stav had landed on the far side of the planet and trekked across the surface until they reached the encampment. The lower caste guards barely noticed two new bodies in the dormitories.

Stav and Nichos had had some difficultly convincing the other slaves why they were there. They were only able to convince them when Nichos had brought out the toxin Danni Quee and Telma had created to slow the growth of slave seeds. Now the rest of the captives were waiting for he and Stav to tell them what to do.

Colonel Fel had told the two men to start small, like with minor sabotageand helping the other captives survive. Nichos had managed to smuggle in another toxin Danni Quee had made years ago that would weaken Vong structures. He had released it upon the Shapers' compounds two weeks ago. The supports were already showing signs of weaknesses. Jag had told them that he didn't know how long they would be on the moon, or if they would ever be rescued. He had told them that they would try to send more help. Nichos knew the eventual goal was to work with the slaves to overtake the Vong.

It was a lofty goal, but one Nichos believed in.

"Nichos!" a young girl, Reyna called. "Come look. Something is going on outside."

Nichos followed her, growing excited. Could more help be arriving? He exited the slave dormitory, and froze. Up above, he could see coralskippers and snubfighters moving about the atmosphere. Three attack shuttles landed around the field. Jedi leapt from the lowering ramps.

Nichos grinned. It was time.

Tahiri, Jacen and Kam crept forward through the lambet field to the nearest slave dormitory. They crouched behind a large bolder. Yavin hung overhead, casting an orange-like glow over the landscape. Tahiri clutched her lightsaber tightly, its studded grip bringing a comforting pain to her hand. It anchored her, kept her focused.

"That's Stav," Jacen said, pointing to a young man standing in front of a group of slaves. Yuuzhan Vong warriors were racing forward to meet the attack shuttles the Jedi had landed as decoys. The slaves were gathered behind the Vong. Commanders were barking orders. The slaves began stumbling forward as the slave seeds forced them to join the fray. Warriors handed the slaves various tools to use as weapons.

Tahiri, Jacen and Kam's mission was to move the slaves to safety. Tahiri was confident that it was a task she and Jacen could handle alone. She thought Kam was there to keep an eye on her. His concern was both touching and aggravating.

"How do you want to do this?" Tahiri asked.

"When I give the word, Tahiri you go left, Kam right. I don't want to encourage the slaves to fight, but I imagine they will," Jacen stated.

"Can you take out the dhuryam?" Kam asked Jacen.

"If I can find it."

"It's in the center compound," Tahiri told him. "Near the Master Shapers' laboratory."

"It'll be guarded," Kam noted.

"Mostly likely," Jacen agreed.

"We'll deal with them later," Kam stated. He ignited his lightsaber. "On three. One, two…three!"

Stav watched in amazement as the three Jedi sprang from behind a rock and ran forward. Their blades sliced through the lambet field. The few warriors guarding the slaves rushed to meet the Jedi. Ampistaffs met lightsabers with clashes. Stav jerked his head as the slave seed shot pain down his spine, urging him to fight the Jedi. He could see his fellow slaves also writhe in pain.

"Come on, fight it!" Stav encouraged as he fisted his hands to his sides. His nails dug into his palms as the pain finally subsided to a bearable throb. "The Jedi are here for us. Help them."

"How?" a Rodian male asked, arm twitching. "The Vong will cut us down."

"Is everyone out of the dormitories?" Stav asked.

"Yes," the Rodian answered.

One of the Jedi approached. Stav recognized him as Jacen Solo. Jacen held his blade low, tip just above the ground, "All empty? Good."

"What do you need, Jedi Solo?" Stav asked.

"I need to get to the dhuryam. It's in the center compound," Jacen told him, gesturing to the largest of the damatuks.

"You're in luck. The supports are weak," Stav told him. Jacen gave him a quizzical look, but gestured for him to continue. "Long story short, Quee gave me a toxin to hinder the shelter from properly drawing nutrients."

"It's starving to death," Jacen said with astonishment and disgust. Stav didn't have time to ponder his reaction.

"We'll help you," Stav stated, flinching as another burst of pain shot down his spine and into his legs.

Jacen was unable to argue. The blond Jedi ran to his side, panting, "Jacen, we have to go. Now."

"Follow Master Solusar to safety!" Jacen shouted over his shoulder as he and the blond Jedi ran towards the main damatuk. About half of the slaves ran towards the older Jedi Master. The rest stared at Stav, waiting.

"We want to fight," a female human said. She clutched her right side as pain ripped through it. All the slaves moaned as the dhuryam tried to impose its will upon them, but stood their ground.

Stav surveyed the area. Jedi and Yuuzhan Vong were locked in hand-to-hand combat. Snubfighters and coralskippers blazed overheard. An explosion sent coral and dirt flying through the air. A Shaper adept caught his eye as he scurried into one the smaller compounds.

Stav grinned, "We'll take that one down."


	18. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

Warriors scurried around the largest shaper damatuk. Jacen and Tahiri crept through the living hallways as they made their way to the dhuryam. Jacen could sense the creature, and Tahiri had a rough estimate of the layout. The Vong they had encountered so far were overtaken easily. They had been lucky to avoid seeing any Shapers.

A shudder coursed through Tahiri as she recognized a particular portal. Through there was the chamber Mezhan Kwaad had tried to turn her into Riina. Tahiri could feel the part of her mind that belonged to Riina tremble with rage and fear. The pain of the Shaping rushed back to her. Memories of Anakin tried to drown her. Tahiri suppressed the emotions with extreme difficulty and pressed forward. She ignored Jacen's look of concern.

"It's through there," Tahiri told him, gesturing to a hallway.

"You were Shaped back there," Jacen stated as they hurried down the hallway. They arrived quickly at large, puckering portal.

Tahiri nodded and pressed her hand onto the fleshy nodule. The opening contracted, and then opened. A putrid odor wafted out, almost gagging Tahiri and Jacen. They slipped inside to find two Vong Warriors waiting for them. Tahiri ignited her lightsaber.

"I'll take them. Get the dhuryam!" she yelled and raced forward to meet the Vong. One ampistaff met her lightsaber while the other attempted to knock her off her feet. Tahiri managed to push the first back and moved to dodge the other. She swung her blade around to parry another strike, and attacked the two Warriors. She delved deeper into the Force. Her lightsaber finally met the flesh of the first Warrior and he dropped. The second, however, was still fighting. He loosened his ampistaff and it wrapped around her wrist. A coufee appeared in his other hand. Tahiri started to twist away-

When an emerald blade plunged through the Vong from behind. The Warrior's eyes blinked in shock as he fell, coufee clattering to the floor. The ampistaff slithered away from its fallen master.

"Thanks," Tahiri said to Jacen as she took her proffered hand and stood. She called her lightsaber back to her hand.

"He left an opening," Jacen said with a shrug.

"You should have killed it," Tahiri said, motioning to the corner where the ampistaff had gone.

"We'll be fine. I need your help," Jacen responded as they approached the dhuryam. "You see that protective coating? The lightsaber can't cut through it. Any ideas?"

Tahiri racked her brain for an idea. She looked around the chamber. Her eyes settled on the ampistaff curled up against the wall. She walked over and snatched it up, calling it to stiffen, glad that Jacen had ignored it. Her implanted memories knew how to use the weapon. Jacen watched her, understanding what she was doing and retrieved the other Warrior's weapon. The rigid spear-like staff sliced through the coating.

Jacen ignited his lightsaber and held it over the dhuryam, but did not drive it down. Tahiri looked at him with alarm, "Do it, Jacen. What are you waiting for?"

Jacen looked at her with a pained expression and she understood. Jacen had never spoken to anyone about all the details of his time with the Yuuzhan Vong, but he had mentioned to her that he had formed a partnership with one of the dhuryams and had murdered the others for it.

"Jacen, you have to kill it. You have to kill it to save everyone," Tahiri said gently. She climbed onto the ledge surrounded the dhruyam and stood next to him. She clamped one hand around the blade and rested the other on his shoulder. "Link to it. Take away some of its pain."

Jacen's eyes fluttered closed. Tahiri could feel him reach out to the organization apologetically. She gripped his hand with both of hers and helped him drive the blade down. The dhuryam began convulsing. Tahiri knocked Jacen backwards to the floor. His lightsaber landed beside him. Tears of pain poured from Jacen's half-closed eyes.

Tahiri clutched his hand, "Jacen. Jacen it's over. It's dead."

Jacen's eyes opened slowly. They focused on her, and then the room around him. He slowly stood up, snatching his lightsaber up and clipping it to his belt. Tahiri could sense him rapidly pulling his emotions inward.

"Let's go," Jacen said calmly as he approached the portal, "We better get out of here before Corran blows this to bits."

Tahiri sprung to her feet and followed him. Before exiting, she spared one last look at the burnt dhuryam.

"Thank you," she whispered and ducked out of the room. She made it halfway down the path when the damatuk shook. Jacen threw himself on top of her as darkness overcame her.

The Yuuzhan Vong Warrior's foot collided with Jaina's shoulder, knocking her to the ground. She rolled back to her feet, slicing through his kneecap. She thrust her blade into the Warrior's armpit, killing him. She ran forward, violet blade crackling. Thud bugs began to rain over the terrain. One clipped her in the shoulder. Another connected with her knee, causing her to trip sideways onto a set of stairs. She slid down them and crashed a large chunk of stone.

Jaina looked up and froze. Staring at her was the likeness of Yun-Yammka, the Slayer. Jaina was suddenly assaulted with images of the worldship over Myrkr. She shook her head, trying to dispel the memories of the Slave Pens were.

No, she told herself. She had a job to do. It wasn't the time to dwell on her brother's death. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to look away from the statue. She stood up and climbed back up the stairs. She could see Kyp waiting for her.

"You okay?" he asked as he ducked out of the path of a thud bug.

"Fine," Jaina responded, slicing one of the offending creatures in half. Its burning pieces rolled down the stairs.

"There's one more skip, out by that temple," Kyp told her. "Let's go blow it up."

"How did we miss that one?" Jaina asked as they ran down the stairs. Jaina avoided looking at the statue as they passed. Before Jaina and Kyp had landed, they had blasted the Vong's landing field, destroying their ships.

"The pilot's probably in there," Jaina stated as she pulled a thermal detonator out of her pocket.

"I'll take him. You plant the charges," he said. She extinguished her lightsaber and clipped it to her belt. She took several charges from Kyp. She waited for him to slip aboard the ship; the fact that no other Vong were around surprised her. She then began attaching detonators to the ship and arming them. Kyp had ten minutes.

He ran down the ramp two minutes later. "Problems?" she asked.

"Nope. Let's get out of here," he said as they ran away from the ship and past the temple.

"Now where?" Jaina asked, surveying the surroundings.

"Looks like they could use some help taking down the damatucks. Got any detonators left?"

"Of course," Jaina responded with a grin. She held up one. "Let's have some fun."

-  
Being a grandfather was one of Han's favorite roles, and he had held many stations in his life. Luke had asked him and Leia to stay at Phelope while several of the Jedi were taking Yavin IV. He was currently sitting on a stone bench while Davin, Ani and Ben chased four other children around the garden.

Davin raced passed him. Han was amazed by the boy. Davin had mastered each Force technique he was taught. He attacked his lessons like his father: with determination and efficiency. He had a fierce protective streak that covered his mother and sister. He loved flying and ships. Han had never been able to convince Davin that Republic ships were better than Chiss and Imperial ones. At least Ani was on his side.

Ani was a princess. She saw the good in everyone and everything. She enjoyed animals, but not to the extent as Jacen had. She always found a way to cheer people up. It was as if she instinctively knew what someone needed, which she probably did. When she ran through the garden towards him, Han had a vision of Jaina as a girl. Her laugh was Jaina's. For a moment, Han could see Jaina racing over to him, grease smudged on her face. Ani would never have grease on her; she wasn't interested in fixing ships.

When Jaina had told Han that she was having a baby, he had been ecstatic. He knew his daughter would be a fantastic mother, and even admitted that Jag would be a good father. When Jag first placed Davin in Han's arms, his heart swelled. Han had been reminded of his children as newborns.

Han secretly wished that after the war was over that Jaina and Jag would have more children. He knew better than to admit it to them.

"Come along, children," Leia called as she entered the courtyard. The children gathered around her.

"Where are we going, Aunt Leia?" Ben asked.

"Master Tionne has moved your lesson to this afternoon," Leia explained. "You will be joining the other students."

Several of the children groaned. With the absence of several Jedi, many lessons had been cancelled. Leia clapped her hands to quiet the children. Jysella appeared next to her, "Follow me."

The children shuffled after Jysella. Leia walked over and sat next to Han. He wrapped an arm around her, bringing her head to his shoulder.

"I spoke with Syal. Cem completed his application to join the Alliance fighter pilot training program."

Han snorted, "Soontir will be thrilled."

Han took one of her hands in his. He ran her thumb over the back of her hand. "Sense anything?"

Han felt Leia shrug against him, "Nothing concrete."

"Think they'll succeed?"

"I don't know," Leia said quietly. "I hope so."

When Luke had told him what he had planned, Han called him crazy. He wasn't surprised though; Luke always came up with hair-brained schemes. Of course, Han could be accused of that. The difference , Han felt, was that his usually worked.

Well, most of the time.

Hot ash and smoke were the first scents to enter Tahiri's conscious. Next, she felt burning. Her eyes shot open. She could see orange flames. She frantically tried to stand up, but there was a weight on her legs.

"Jacen!" she screamed. She shook him, "Wake up! You have to wake up!"

Jacen lifted his head, blinking in confusion, "Where-" he coughed. "Where are we?"

"Yavin IV. We have to get out of here," she said quickly. Jacen's eyes snapped open and widened as he saw the fire. She pulled Jacen to his feet.

"There," he pointed to a smoke-filled hallway. "It looks like that is our only way out."

"Hold your breath," Tahiri said. She gripped Jacen's hand. It was difficult to see. They plunged forward through the smoke, relying on the Force to bring some oxygen to their lungs. The two Jedi helped each other through the burning damatuk. Jacen tripped, and Tahiri pulled him up. Tahiri grew dizzy and Jacen lent her strength. They pushed through the smoke until they reached the end of the hallway. There was no clear doorway or window. The two used their lightsabers to cut their way out of the hallway. Flames licked over the wall. They fell through the cut opening just as the wall collapsed into the fire.

Tahiri and Jacen fell to the wet ground. They rolled away from the burning structure. When they stood, Kam and Luke were nearby with a group of slaves. To the side Tahiri could see Mara, Kyle Katarn, Alema Rar and Octa Ramis surrounded a group of prisoners. They looked to be Shapers.

"You're hurt," Kam said to her. Tahiri's hand moved to touch her cheek, but Kam intercepted her. "Don't touch it. You're badly burnt. Both of you."

Tahiri look at Jacen. His shirt was in tatters, allowing her to see that his back was covered in deep, burns. Blisters covered his arms and legs. His hair was signed. Her own face hurt, but the rest of her felt okay. She then remembered Jacen throwing himself on top of her. She would have to ask him about that later.

"What happened?" Jacen asked his uncle.

While Kam, Jacen and Tahiri had been on their assignment, the rest of the Jedi attacked the compound from various angles. Mara and Octa's teams had captured many of the Shapers while Luke and the rest of the Jedi fought the Warriors. The slaves had taken down two smaller damatuks, and their dormitories. After destroying the first, their slave seeds had reacted so harshly, they had difficultly continuing. The death of the dhuryam had finally allowed them to complete their objective.

Booster Terrik had arrived in the rearmed _Errant Venture_ to finish off the remainders of the small Vong fleet. Tahiri could see X-Wings off in the distance. Terrik would stay in-system, watching for reinforcements. There was a chance the Vong would come back to reclaim Yavin IV, but Luke believed it to be slim. As merely a Shaper planet, it offered no real value. Corran was positive no vessels escaped, but they had no way of knowing if someone had called through a villip.

The fire had occurred when a Vong coralskipper plunged from the sky into the damatuk. Whether it was intentional or not, the Jedi did not know.

"Jacen!" Jaina screamed as she ran forward. "What happened?"

"I'll be okay, Jaina," he said, wincing. His sister's eyes flickered to Tahiri. "Come here, both of you. There is a shuttle taking the wounded to the _Venture_."

"I'm fine, Jaina," Jacen insisted.

"You have third-degree burns on your back. You are probably in shock or close to it," Jaina said firmly. She snatched Jacen's hand and began to drag him to a nearby shuttle. Tahiri exchanged an amused look with Luke and Kam, and then followed Jaina. Before she boarded the shuttle, she looked out on the wreckage. One day, this would be her home again, she promised.

One day.


	19. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen **

Danni dropped a chunk of rock on the steel lab table with a clang. Telma looked up from her datapad, raising an eyebrow. The rock had sharp, jagged edges and was almost black in color. Tiny silver flecks of metal scattered the surface. The bottom of the rock was reddish-orange.

"Feel up to a new project?" Danni asked excitedly as she pushed her hair out of her face.

"What is that?"

"This," Danni said, voice dropping to a whisper, "Is a piece of Csilla."

Telma's eyes widened in shock. Last they had heard, the Chiss weren't allowing the Alliance or Empire's scientist to remove pieces of the planet. "How did you get that?"

Danni gestured to her office. She threw a cloth over the rock, and then led Telma inside. She sat down behind her desk. Telma took one of the chairs in front of it.

"It's imperative that you don't tell anyone else; the Alliance doesn't trust the Chiss scientists to give us any accurate information. This is a piece of the planet our team took, well stole, from the wreckage. If anyone asks, it's an asteroid," Danni explained.

"Of course," Telma responded. She truly enjoyed her work with Danni. Aside from their work with the slave seeds, she had helped Danni with jammers and weaponry experiments. When she wasn't helping Danni, she was working in the medical facility. "What are we looking for?"

"Anything Vong-like. Not only do we need to find out how the planet was destroyed, but why. I've got the research on some datacards. I'll make copies for you," Danni said. "First I'm running a sediment analysis."

"Should we put it in some kind of quarantine?" Telma asked. "If it is infected with some type of Vong-creature, couldn't it escape?"

"If whatever it is can survive in a vacuum, there's nothing we can do," Danni responded with a shrug. "Nothing happened during the transfer. It's not the way I would conduct the moving of something like this, but no one asked me."

Danni pressed a few keys on her data terminal, and then ejected a card. She handed it to Telma, "Here's everything I have."

"What do you want me to do?" Telma asked as she took the card and pocketed it.

"Would you mind running some scans? I need a cross reference image, too," she said. "We'll have to work on this at night. Do you have time?"

"Not a problem."

"Telma, do you do anything other than work?" Danni asked, head cocked to one side.

Telma chuckled, "Do you?"

"I guess not," Danni responded with a laugh. "When this war is over, I'm taking a long vacation."

"Great idea. Any suggestions?"

"Some tropical resort hidden away from the rest of the galaxy. Know of any?" Danni said as she stood from the desk.

"I'll keep my ears open," Telma responded.

"Sounds like a plan. Come on. The testing center should be empty by now. Let's go run that analysis," Danni snatched a tool packet from a shelf by her desk and walked out the door, Telma following.

"I'll make some caf," Telma offered. "I have a feeling we're going to be here awhile."

Danni gave her a dubious nod. She checked the lab for other occupants. Once she saw it was empty, she removed the cloth and began to work.

"No."

"Jedi Veila, scar removal is a simple procedure. If you will just-"

"I said no. I'll keep the scars," Tahiri insisted. She sat on the examination table with her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyebrows were narrowed in agitation. Her blonde hair was pinned away from her face. It was arranged artfully to hide the parts that were ruined in the fire.

"I understand that you want to keep the three on your forehead. I can work around those-"

"Are the scars going to cause any medical problems? No. My decision stands."

The medic looked agitated. He ran a weary hand over his brow as he responded, "If you insist, but I think it's a mistake."

Tahiri's glare darkened. The medic turned to his supply cabinet and dug out a tube of salve. He handed it to her. "Apply this three times a day to reduce irritation. Scratching open the healing skin will invite bacteria in."

Tahiri accepted the tube with a curt nod, "Thank you."

The medic left the room. Tahiri hopped off the table. She removed her hospital gown and threw it into the laundry bin. She dressed quickly and left the examination room. Jacen had been put in a bacta tank once they reached the medical center aboard the _Errant Venture_. Tahiri walked to the bacta room chamber. Three tanks were set up; all occupied. Jacen was in the first. Tahiri wasn't surprised to see Jaina sitting in a chair next to the tank.

"How's he doing?" Tahiri asked as she walked over to the tank.

"He's healing well," Jaina said.

"He wouldn't have been burned so bad if he hadn't have knocked me over," Tahiri commented, arms crossed over her chest.

Jaina glanced at Jacen's slowly bobbing body in the tank, and then back at Tahiri. "He would never let anything happen to you. Neither of us would."

Tahiri raised an eyebrow, "I don't need protecting."

"We know, but Anakin loved you," Jaina said quietly as she stood.

"Did he ask you…" Tahiri said, voice trailing off.

"He didn't have to," Jaina told her. "Would you mind sitting with him for a few minutes? Uncle Luke wanted to see me."

"Of course," Tahiri said quietly as Jaina slipped out the door. Tahiri sank down in the now-empty chair. Tahiri was touched by what Jaina had said. Tahiri had put Anakin to rest long ago, but a part of her would always hold on to him him. He was her first love, the man who had saved her from the Vong. He'd been her best friend.

The hardest part about putting Anakin to rest had been the what-ifs. Tahiri had been plagued for years by thoughts of the future robbed of her. She knew that they would have stayed together. They would have worked together during Jedi missions, just like Luke and Mara. He would have helped her overcome her problems with Riina and she would have given him the support he needed to be a leader.

Tahiri smiled softly to herself as she whispered, "You'll never stop looking out for me, will you?"

Tahiri wasn't expecting an answer, but she knew that if one had come, it would have been a no.

Zekk had had years of practice with stubborn women. He had learned the hard way that Solo women could not be reasoned with when they believed they were right. This trait had been passed on to Jaina's daughter.

Ani stood in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest. She glared at him, pale green eyes narrowed. "Don't. Want. To."

"Ani, everyone else has completed the exercise," Zekk said patiently. He had taken over a class of younglings while many of the other instructors were on Yavin IV.

"Not doing it right," she ground out.

Zekk looked at her perplexed, "What do you mean?"

"You're not doing it right," she said carefully.

Zekk stared at the girl. The children were working on basic telekinesis. They were supposed to arrange printed blocks so they made a picture. He couldn't think of a possible way he was doing the exercise wrong. He had helped younglings through it for years.

Zekk looked over at the younger Jedi trainee, Dex. The older trainees had been given various tasks to do while their teachers were away. Dex was in charge of escorting the youngest students that day. "Dex, take everyone else to Tionne's class, please."

Dex bowed his head and gathered up the seven other younglings, which included Davin and Ben. The two boys refused to join him, however. They stood protectively on either side of Ani, an action that did not surprise Zekk in the least. The two boys always backed up Ani, regardless of if she was right or not.

"Davin, Ben, go with Dex. I need to talk to Ani," Zekk instructed.

"Ani, just do what he says," Ben hissed as he walked away from her. Ben usually caved in first when Ani was being difficult.

"Davin," Zekk said warningly. "Now."

Davin glared at him, "No."

Zekk groaned. Both Solo and Fel stubbornness was coming out now, from both children. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Behavioral problems were common among most of the children, especially the younger ones, who had been separated from their families in trying circumstances. "Davin, Ani, your parents told you both to listen to your teachers."

"They're too busy to call," Ani said, lower lip trembling slightly.

"And don't say they are doing important stuff," Davin snapped in a tone that was pure Jagged Fel. "We know that."

Zekk didn't have a response. He simply wasn't good with young children. He'd wanted to go to Yavin IV, but Luke thought he would be more useful here. Right now, fighting Vong seemed easier. He prayed that Leia, Han or Syal would walk into the training room right then.

No such luck. "Okay, Ani. How about you tell me what I'm doing wrong?" Zekk asked as he tried to remember how Tionne said to handle difficult situations.

"You didn't do it right," she said. "Mama has me take them apart first."

Zekk closed his eyes. This wasn't the first time Ani had refused to do something that was similar to an activity Jaina had her do. It had been increasing over the past month. Usually Tahiri was nearby to help the girl, but Zekk was on his own this time.

"Ani, there are different ways to do this lesson. It works just as well as your mom's way," Zekk said in an attempt to reason with the four-year-old.

Ani shook her head. Zekk did not want to argue with her. He was content with just letting the girl have her way, but he knew he would never hear the end of it from Tionne. He tried another avenue. "Davin and Ben did the exercise."

"Is something wrong?" Tionne's voice called from the doorway. Zekk turned to her gratefully. He gestured to Ani, who still hadn't moved. Tionne gave him a small nod and stepped forward.

"Ani, can you show me how your mother does this?" Tionne asked gently. She knelt next to the girl.

Ani looked at Davin for assurance, and then said, "Okay."

She sat down on the floor and began rearranging the blocks. Zekk watched as Tionne followed Ani's directions. Both she and Davin had visibly relaxed. Once the exercise was complete, Tionne rested a hand on Ani's small shoulder, "Thank you for showing me that, Ani. Would you like to help me with our next lesson?"

"Can I?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes, but first I need both of you to apologize to Jedi Zekk for giving him a hard time," Tionne said firmly.

"Sorry, Master Zekk," the two children said solemnly, and then grabbed Tionne's outstretched hands as they left the room.

Zekk shook his head as he started to clean up the area. He didn't know how something so simple could sway her opinion. He never understood children. The next time there was a mission, he was going to push to go. Training the future of the Jedi was proving to be more of a challenge than he thought.

The pilots climbed from their simulator pods and stood in a formal line until their commander dismissed them. Cem Fel waited quietly to the side of the room. He had arrived the day before from Phelope to join the Alliance military. Unlike his siblings, he had never been a member of the Chiss military. He'd trained with Jaina while she was on Csilla and assisted her when needed, which helped him to pass the first round of tests the training program offered. He was trying to bypass the entire regiment. He'd logged enough training hours with Jaina; he just had to pass the rest of the examinations.

"What's Master Durron going to think when he sees what you've done to his squadron?" Cem asked as he stepped further into the room. Jag had mentioned to him yesterday that he'd implemented new disciplinary techniques since Kyp had left.

Jag glanced over to him, "He'll get over it. What are you doing here?"

"I finished my flight exercises early," he replied. He glanced over as another squadron entered the chamber. He didn't recognize any of the members. They paid no attention to the two brothers as they climbed into the pods.

"You busy?" Cem asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Jag ejected a disc from the terminal and tucked it into his pocket. He turned to face Cem and said, "I have about four and a half minutes."

"I'll walk with you," Cem replied and they left the chamber. "Where are you headed?"

"I'm meeting Telma and Danni," Jag responded.

"Oh yeah, your Twi'lek friend," Cem said.

"Yes."

"Did you listen to the messages I brought?"

"Yes."

Cem's brow furrowed. His brother had never been particularly talkative, but now he seemed even more reserved. He knew his brother was worried about Jaina and the kids. He also was concerned about what Cem had told him about Ani's refusal to cooperate. "What's going on, Jag?"

"Follow me," Jag said after a moment. "You need to see something."

Jag led Cem through the hallways and down two flights of stairs to an unmarked closed door. Cem could see bright lights illuminating other parts of the hallway. From a glance, it looked like a lab.

Jag typed in a code and then said something into his comm. The wall panel slid open and they slipped inside. The room was small. A long metal table sat against the back wall. A large, clear cube sat on a stand on the left wall. Computer terminals lined the other wall.

"What did you find?" Jag asked the blond woman sitting at one of the terminals. She eyed Cem, and Jag introduced him quickly. "That's my brother, Cem. He won't say anything."

"When I cut the rock apart, I found this strange lichen-like creature. We ran some tests on it, and its molecular structure is similar to the other pieces of Vong technology we've encountered," Danni explained as she pointed to a small sample on the table. "Did you get the Chiss reports?"

"Yes," Jag told her. Cem looked shocked as his brother pulled a datapad from his pocket. At a glance, he could see the security marks on the top of the document. Cem may not have been a member of the Chiss military, but he recognized the various markings. He'd seen them many times. He didn't know how his brother had managed to obtain the files, but he knew they were stolen. Jag handed it to Danni, who scanned it. Cem was surprised that his brother had not only taken the information but gave it up freely.

"This is extremely detailed. It says here they found the creature and made the connections, but haven't figured what it does," she said after looking over it.

Danni and Jag looked up as Telma entered the room. She smiled in greeting, and then placed a metal case on the table.

"I have a surgery scheduled in thirty minutes," she said breathlessly, "but I finished recording the similarities between that lichen and coral implants."

"Thanks,"Danni responded. She, Telma and Jag then began to discuss some type of poison. Cem wandered over to one of the computer terminals. It was playing a loop of footage from a Csillian satellite. His eyes narrowed as he noticed two spots on both the eastern and western hemispheres. They looked to be symmetrical in size and distance. The darkening spots looked almost like depressions. It reminded Cem of a conversation he had had with Jaina years ago.

"Sernpidal," Cem mumbled, and then turned to face the others. "It's like that thing that pulled the moon down at Serpindal."

Danni's eyes widened. "That would make sense. Jag said he saw two ships fly to either side of the planet right before it broke apart."

Danni rushed over to the display. She keyed in a few commands to pull up the recording of the planet's destruction. She manipulated the images so they lay on top of each other. The ships disappeared over the depressions.

Danni sucked in air, "Those ships did something to activate the creature. I need to review the satellite recordings to see if something was dropped."

"Could someone have planted those before the Vong attacked?" Telma asked.

"Jag, can you pull landing records?" Danni asked, and then frowned. "What's wrong?"

Jag eyes face was pale and drawn. He looked to Telma, "Telma, do you remember when the Shapers inserted those blue implants into us? The ones everyone had trouble with?"

She nodded, hand moving slowly to her left forearm. "Adel heard the Adepts saying that they had to find a way to hibernate a dovin basal. They must have found a way to trigger it."

"That's why we were in Csillian space. As a Shaper transport, it didn't have to put up much of a fight. Two dovin basals could have been ejected in some kind of pod. We know the Vong had such a thing. It would only take one warrior in each to pilot it to the right spot. The pods would look like debris, easy to miss," Jag said with disbelief. "They knew if they had captives, we wouldn't be blown from the sky."

"But why Csilla?" Danni asked.

"I don't know," Jag mumbled. He looked at Cem, and then Telma."But I think we're the link."


	20. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

The humid air of Yavin IV stank with decomposing organic matter. Over the past week, the Jedi had been deconstructing the Shaper complexes. The now-dead debris had been decaying quickly. The liberated slaves were assisting the Jedi with the clean-up. Mirax Terrik-Horn had volunteered to transport the captives to the Alliance base. She was only able to take small groups at a time.

Jaina pushed a loose tendril of hair behind her ear as she climbed over a collapsed damatuk support. She held her ignited blade in the other hand. Lightsaber blades sliced through the dying material with little effort. Her shoulders ached from days of cutting and moving pieces. Sweat poured down her face and body.

"Jaina!" Nichos called. She turned to face him. He had removed his shirt and was tearing it into strips. Jaina jogged over to him. He was tying the strips around his knees where his pants had torn and around his hands. She could see blisters on his palms.

"You have to let the pieces cool first before touching them," Jaina said wryly.

"I know, I know," he responded and then gestured to the left of where they were standing. "Some jungle creature is taking the remains."

"Really? Do you know what they are?"

"No idea, but I was thinking that if it's not hurting them, let the local wildlife help us. Instead of you Jedi moving everything over to the stink pile, we can throw it over at the edge of the jungle," Nichos suggested. "Can't you Jedi commune with animals or something?"

Jaina chuckled, "Let me find Jacen."

She found Jacen standing in the lambet field. He was staring at one of the stalks intently, arms crossed across his chest. She could sense wistfulness and pain radiating off him.

"Jacen?" she asked gently. "Is something wrong?"

"I was just thinking," he said, eyes locking with hers, "about Anakin."

"Me too," she said quietly. She took his hand in hers. "Remember when the Academy had to be rebuilt before? Anakin was the one that figured out the most effective way to put it back together. It's not the same process, but it could give us a starting point."

"He thought it was a puzzle," Jacen added. Jaina nodded. She swiped her eye, where a tear had gathered. Jacen continued, "I wonder if Mom and Dad kept the master file on the _Falcon_."

"Probably. Dad never clears the computers," Jaina said. She could already hear her father's protests at such a suggestion. He claimed that everything stored in the _Falcon's_ memory gave it character.

"They're at Phelope, right?" Jacen asked as he shot her a knowing look.

"Yeah."

"Give them a call," Jacen said, and then asked. "What did you need?"

"Oh, right. Nichos noticed some creature is taking the dead chunks of damutek into the forest, probably for dinner. He suggested we put the debris closer to the edge and encourage it to take it," Jaina explained. "I figured you would be able to figure out how to do that."

Jacen nodded, "Sure. I'll take care of it. Go to the _Shadow _and try to raise Mom and Dad."

"Thanks, Jace," Jaina said as she walked away.

"Oh and Jaina?"

"Yes?" She turned her head to look back at him.

"Say hello to Ani and Davin for me."

Jaina smiled at him, nodded and continued towards the patch of land that served as a landing pad.

The children had been cooped up for three days. A torrential rainstorm had kept everyone inside. Han had taken Ani and Davin off of Syal's hands for the afternoon. Their lessons had been canceled and they were bored.

Solo," Han said as he answered his pinging comlink.

"There's a transmission for you," Wyn's voice called over the speaker. She was handling most of the communication and security monitoring.

"From?"

"Jaina."

Two chairs clattered to the floor as Davin and Ani leapt from their chairs at the table across the room. They were supposed to be working on a lesson. Syal and Leia kept on the children to complete their coursework, but Han was willing to look the other way for now. After all, he was determined to be the fun grandparent; he'd promised they'd do something different that afternoon.

"Mama's calling?" Ani asked excitedly. "Can we talk to her? Please?"

"Sure, come on," Han said, and then responded into the comlink, "I'm on my way."

The two children dragged Han out of the apartment to the communication center. They released Han's hands when they were close enough to see the small image of their mother talking to Wyn. Ani and Davin bolted across the room. Wyn was barely able to move out of their way as they climbed into the chair.

Han waited off to the side with Wyn while Jaina spoke with her children. As he watched, he could remember Jaina, Jacen and Anakin as children talking excitedly to him or Leia. It broke his heart every time he had had to leave his children. He hated that Jaina had to do the same thing.

"Grandpa? Mama says she has to talk to you," Davin called. Han took a few steps over so he was within view.

"Hi, Dad. You haven't removed any files from the _Falcon_, right?"

Han eyed her. She knew the answer to that question. He would never tamper with the _Falcon's_ memory systems. There was no guarantee it would work if he did. He asked, "What do you need?"

"Do you remember when Anakin created those plans for the Jedi Temple? He saved the master file on the _Falcon._ Can you find it and transmit it to the _Shadow_?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure," Han said, swallowing hard. It didn't matter how many years had passed, the loss of his youngest son would never leave him. He warmed his heart that Anakin's hard work years ago could still be put to use.

"Thanks so much," she said, flashing a grateful smile at him.

"Mama, when are you gonna see us?" Ani asked, interrupting the conversation.

"I'm not sure, sweetie. I promise I'll come see you soon." Han could see Jaina's pained expression. He wished he could ignore the crestfallen looks on Ani and Davin's faces.

Han said goodbye and then stepped out to let Jaina finish talking to her children. After the transmission ended, Davin gently pulled Ani from the chair. "Come on, Ani."

"Okay," she mumbled, clearly distraught. Han was determined to cheer them up. He walked over and scooped her up, causing her to giggle. "Grandpa!"

"I need to go out to the _Falcon _and find something for your mom. I can't do it without my two favorite mechanics," he said. Both children loved spending time on his legendary ship. Davin enjoyed "fixing" things and pretending to fly. Ani would explore and ask what happened in various areas of the ship.

Davin asked in disbelief, "Really?"

"Yep, come on, kids. I bet I can find some sugared winterberries aboard," Han said with a knowing look.

Davin and Ani's eyes grew wide. Davin said in a hushed voice, "Really? We haven't had those since Csilla."

"Yep, just don't tell your friends," Han said as they left the communication center, "Or your grandmothers."

Luke tapped his fingers against his leg in thought. Jaina and Jacen had brought him Anakin's plans from the previous rebuilding. Luke liked the idea of reconstruction the Temple to look as it had, but they needed materials. The Vong had completely destroyed the former Academy. Its underground caverns and foundation were still intact, at least.

"We need credits," Luke mused.

Mara glanced at him from her seat at a computer terminal in the _Shadow_. "When don't we?"

"I want to rebuild the Academy, but we can't afford the supplies. I don't even know where to find them. It's not like before when we could use the stones that had been blown from it or have a team of artists reconstruct them," Luke explained. "I can't ask the Alliance. They don't have enough."

"Well, you could talk to Tenel Ka," Mara suggested.

"I would hate to ask her for help again. She's already taking a large political risk for us by hiding the Jedi in her system," Luke replied.

Mara shrugged, "We wouldn't need that much money. We could probably find some kind of stonework cheap enough. Debris or something."

Luke didn't respond as he glanced over the screen again. She was right; he knew it. He would have to go to Hapes. He hated to leave the Jedi, though, not when they needed him. He could send Jacen and Jaina instead.

"We'll need to take a request to Wedge for some replacement X-Wings," Mara commented. They'd lost several in the attack. "Kyp, Jaina and Corran need to get back. They could ask him."

"I'll talk to them in the morning," Luke replied. "What about sending Jacen to Hapes?"

Mara shook her head, "No, I think we need him here. We don't know what's crawling in that jungle. "

"Good point," Luke conceded. He'd heard about the local animal life helping with the clean-up process. He remembered that his sister was in the system, "I'll call Leia."

"She's probably bored," Mara commented wryly.

"I doubt it. Not only is she keeping an eye on the Jedi and chasing around Ben, Ani and Davin, but she's babysitting Han. You know he's getting those kids into all sorts of trouble."

"Like I said she's bored," Mara replied with a chuckle as she walked over to him. "Your sister chased Han and their three kids and held together a government. This must feel like a vacation."

"You're right, of course."

"Aren't I always?" Mara responded as she plopped down onto his lap. "It would do you good to remember that, dear husband."

Four Shapers stood glaring at Stav, Nichos and their other guards. The Shapers had been stripped of their implants. The Jedi were transferring the Shapers to secure cells on the _Errant Venture_ via shuttle. The Shapers were all Adepts, two males and two females.

The most-tattooed female suddenly lunged forward, baring a sharp piece of coral, taking everyone by surprise. She thrust it into Stav's back.

"Stav!" Nichos screamed as Stav fell to the ground. He yanked his blaster off his belt and shot the Shaper. The other Shapers took advantage of the distraction and attacked. They had no weapons, just used their hands.

Nichos was vaguely aware of the others and a couple Jedi taking down the Shapers. He fell to his knees. His hands shook as he moved Stav into a more comfortable position. "It's going to be okay, Stav. We'll get you help."

Stav coughed as he shook his head, "No. Not enough time."

Nichos's eyes blurred with tears. Stav couldn't be dying. They'd been through so much together. They'd trained together. They'd been recaptured together and had worked together to convince the slaves to trust them. Stav had become his best friend, his brother.

"Maddie is here and Abby," Stav whispered, eyes growing glassy. "They want me to come with them."

"Go," Nichos rasped out. Stav's wife, Maddie and his daughter had been killed in the first stages of the war. Stav had witnessed their deaths. They'd been the last two to be allowed onto the landing field for the refugee ships. A local politician demanded access. He had let out an insane shriek of rage, pulled out his blaster and mowed down many of the refugees before he was stopped. Stav had tried to break past the barricade as he watched his wife and child murdered.

A final breath shuddered through Stav's body and his lifeless eyes stared towards the sky. Nichos closed his eyelids. Tears rolled down his cheeks and landed on his friend's face. It wasn't fair. They'd succeeded. They had won. They weren't supposed to die. He knew Stav had never gotten over the loss of his family, but he was determined to save others from their fate.

Nichos hoped that Maddie and Abby had really come for Stav. He hoped they were happy again.

A hand clapped on his shoulder. Nichos looked up to see Jacen Solo. The Jedi knelt down, "Do you want to move him to the pyre?"

Nichos nodded. He moved behind Stav's head and lifted his shoulders. Jacen picked up his legs. They carried the man to a makeshift funeral pyre the Jedi had constructed shortly after the battle. All the dead had been burned there. Jacen and Nichos slid Stav's body on the structure. Jacen removed the coral dagger from his back. He turned and lit two torches.

"Do you want to say anything?" Jacen asked as he handed him a torch.

Nichos nodded. He rested a hand on Stav's shoulder, "I won't forget, Stav. I promise."

Nichos set the torch next to Stav's body. Jacen laid the other one down. They watched as flames consumed the man. Nichos ran a hand over his eyes as the heat began to sting. Months ago, Stav had been injured and developed a fever. He made Nichos promise that if he died, once the war was over, he would return to where his family had died and place a marker.

Jacen squeezed his shoulder, "Thank you, Nichos. We couldn't have done this without you and Stav. He'll be remembered."

Nichos nodded in thanks as Jacen walked off. He stared at the pyre until the flames flickered out. He stood waiting until the wind blew Stav's ashes into the humid atmosphere.

"I'm so sorry, Stav," Nichos whispered as the last black flecks danced overhead. "I'll finish this, I swear."

Three X-Wings landed on the hanger bay floor. The cockpits hissed open slowly, slower than Jag thought possible. His eyes stayed glued on the middle craft. He could see his wife quickly removing her helmet. He watched as she climbed out of the cockpit and jumped to the ground. Jag moved towards her as she threw herself into his arms.

The sensation of Jaina's body against his again was almost overwhelming. He pulled away from her just enough to kiss her. Her hands clutched the front of his shirt. His hands wound into her hair as the sounds of the hanger faded away.

"Going to let her breathe, Fel?" Kyp called out.

Jag ended the kiss, but didn't release his hold on Jaina. He glared at Kyp, and growled, "What?"

"How's my squadron?" Kyp asked with amusement.

"You know they're in top shape," Corran said as he clapped a hand on Kyp's shoulder. "Come on. Help me beg for some more X-Wings from Wedge."

"Need my help?" Jaina asked, glancing over from Jag's chest.

"Nah," Corran said, waving dismissively.

"The squadron reports are up-to-date," Jag called as the two walked off.

"I missed you," Jaina said, turning his face back to hers.

"I missed you, too," Jag whispered, brushing her lips with his.

"Let's get out of here," Jaina suggested. She moved away from him, grasping his hand. As they walked through the hallway, she said, "I spoke to Ani and Davin two days ago."

Jag eyed her. She didn't sound like she knew about the problem with Ani. It wasn't a conversation he wanted to have in public. "Cem's here," he said instead.

"Oh really? Doing what?" she asked.

Jag filled Jaina in on what his brother had been doing. The conversation lasted until they entered their quarters. Jaina turned to face him, arms crossed, as soon as the door closed. "Okay, what's going on? You didn't ask anything about the children."

"Ani's not cooperating," he began. He told Jaina about what Cem had told him.

Jaina sank down in a chair. She massaged her temples with her fingers, "That figures."

"What?" Jag asked, surprised at her reaction. He moved to stand behind her and began massaging her shoulders. Her head drifted to the side.

"I used to do the same thing. I'd be extremely difficult when something was wrong or Mom and Dad hadn't been around," Jaina said with a groan. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," he responded truthfully. They could call and tell her to behave, but that wasn't going to work. She was upset, understandably so, and was acting out. The worst part was that Jag felt guilty about it. "How were they otherwise?"

"Good," she responded. "They've both grown. Davin lost another tooth. He wanted us to know that he didn't bleed very much."

Jag shook his head, chuckling, "What about Ani?"

"The same," she sighed. "She talked about how much she missed us and wanted us to come see her. I hate myself for disappointing her."

"She asked the same in the message Cem brought," he said warily. He couldn't erase the image of his daughter's pale green pleading eyes from his mind.

"Jag, we have to do something. I know exactly how she feels. I was that child. She doesn't understand what's going on. Davin says he understands, but he must feel the same way," Jaina clutched his hand, desperation in her eyes. He hated when she looked at him like that. He couldn't disagree with her, especially when he wanted the same thing.

He crouched in front of her. "I don't know, sweetheart. I wish we could go to them."

Jaina sniffed, "I miss them. It used to drive me nuts when Ani and Davin would wake up before me and jump on the bed, but now I wish they'd be there tomorrow morning."

"What do you want to do, Jaina?" Jag asked. Guilt flooded through him. It'd been his idea to return. He knew that they had to, but it didn't make him feel any better. He'd hardly spent any time with his children. It ate at him like a cancer, hovering at the edge of his vision.

"I want my babies back," Jaina said, staring at him. "Are they really safer there? The Vong could find them there. Yes, the Cluster is harder to navigate, but let's face it; those security measures are more effective against Peace Brigaders. At least here we can protect them ourselves."

"We're always leaving, Jaina," Jag argued. He wanted to agree with her. He wanted to jump in the next shuttle and bring their children home. He wanted to come home to them every day. He needed them. They gave him a purpose, determination. They made him want to push harder.

"Your mother will come, Jag; you know she won't leave her grandchildren alone. Besides, your father will get to see her more often. We can ask her," Jaina pointed out. "Wedge and Iella kept Myri and Syal here after the attack."

"Jaina…" he said slowly. "Is this really a good idea?"

"Don't you want them here?"

"More than anything, but Jaina, if there's an attack…"

"We did it before, Jag. We kept Davin with us. He only had to stay with the others for a couple months," Jaina pointed out. They had taken Davin to Shelter a couple months after he was born, but retrieved him several months later. She slid onto the floor so she was sitting next to him. "I can't leave them alone any longer. This is the right thing to do, I know it is."

Jag stared into her pleading eyes. He knew that Jaina wouldn't put their children at risk. If she said it would be okay, he believed her. He had to believe her. He smiled at her, "Okay. Let's bring them home."

Jaina nearly knocked him to the ground in excitement.


	21. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

A lone figure sat at the steel table in a dim room. He was leaning back in a chair with his fingertips resting against his forehead. His face was gaunt, framed by ragged black hair. He was underweight. The most alarming sight, however, was the tortured grief in his eyes.

Jag sat across from Nichos, waiting patiently for him to continue speaking. Nichos had just arrived with the rest of the former slaves from Yavin IV. He'd asked to speak with Jag immediately. He had outlined his capture, captivity and fight alongside the Jedi. He had just finished speaking about Stav's death.

Nichos closed his eyes slowly as he began to speak, "I'd like to go back out there."

His request didn't surprise Jag. Nichos had been determined before, but after losing Stav, he was bordering recklessness. Jag leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table as he said, "I think you need to take some time to deal with the events on Yavin IV before doing anything."

"I'm fine. What am I suppose to do? Take a vacation at a Yuuzhan Vong pleasure resort?" he drawled. He slammed his palms on the table. "Stav and I had agreed that when we finished on Yavin IV we would take another assignment. I know what the books say. I have to be reviewed and all that. I'm not going to do something stupid and get myself killed. I made a promise and I intend keep it."

Jag believed him. Nichos's determination was commendable, but he was still concerned. He'd seen many beings who had believed they would survive no matter what. Instead of shattering that illusion with Nichos, the death of Stav seemed to strengthen it. Jag couldn't afford to send someone in that mindset into a high-pressure situation. He could use his help in another way, however.

"I'm not against sending you back, but I have a proposition. We have several groups preparing to head out. They've all had experience with the Vong, but talking with someone who succeeded their objective would help," Jag said.

"How long would I have to stay?" Nichos asked warily.

"At least a month."

Nichos gave him a look, "I know what you're doing."

"Then refuse."

"You know I can't do that. I need your sign-off. I need your resources; you know that. Unless I want to die a pointless, pathetic death, I have to do what you say," Nichos pointed out.

"So you agree."

"Yes," Nichos stated, and then asked in a friendlier tone, "I'd like to do something for Stav. I know the military has canisters you can fill with mementos of the dead to launch into space. I don't have the authority for one, nor do I have a ship."

"Done," Jag stated. "Would you mind if we did something for the slaves that died on Yavin at the same time?"

"You've been planning this."

Jag nodded, "Tomorrow at noon. Take this to the office next to the morgue to pick up Stav's canister. Meet me at Docking Bay 398."

Nichos took the datacard from Jag's outstretched hand as he stood, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Jag waved as Nichos left the room. He ran a hand over his face in frustration. He hated maneuvering Nichos, but he didn't have a choice. Before meeting with Nichos, he had met with a senate representative who had heard about his operations. They had threatened to squash his operation because it wasn't a "practical use of funds or personnel." Jag needed a success. He couldn't use Nichos and Stav's success on Yavin IV because it was seen as a Jedi operation in the end.

Jag was jarred out of his thinking as the sounds of giggling travelled through the door. He grinned as the door opened and two children ran in. He stood up and caught Ani as she raced through the room. He asked, "What are you two up to?"

"Mama has to work," Ani stated as she crinkled her nose.

Jaina shot Jag an apologetic look, "I'm sorry. We've been called away. I have to be at the briefing in ten minutes."

"Trouble?" Jag asked with concern.

"Nothing major," Jaina responded too casually. "Kyp knows."

Jag nodded slowly. It was worse than she let on, but she wasn't going to say it in front of the children. He knew he could trust Kyp to tell him what was going on. He turned to the children and said, "Say goodbye to your mother, kids."

Ani and Davin told their mother goodbye, and then Jaina turned to Jag. "I'm sorry." She whispered in his ear and kissed him. Jag watched as she rushed out the door. This was the first time since the arrival of the children that one of them had been called for a mission.

"Come on, you two. Let's go see Kyp," he said. He placed his datapad in his pocket and took their hands.

Davin and Ani had been back with them for a week. After talking with Jaina, Jag had asked his uncle about the decision to keep Syal and Myri on the base. Wedge had said that he and Iella had felt that they had missed too much of their daughters' lives. They had to educate the girls themselves. Mirax had provided them with lesson plans. Wedge's reassurances had helped affirm the decision.

Jag led the chattering children to his office. Kyp was seated behind the desk, feet propped up as he read a datapad. He glanced up as they entered and said, "Newest recruits?"

Davin shot Kyp an annoyed look as he hopped onto one of the chairs in front of the desk. Ani scurried around the desk and began to crawl across the floor. Kyp had to twist his legs off the desk and out of her way.

"Ani, say excuse me," Jag scolded lightly. He had no idea what she was doing.

"'Cuse me, Kyp," she mumbled as she yanked the bottom drawer open.

"What are you doing?" Kyp asked with a perplexed look on his face. He glanced up at Jag, who shrugged.

"Mama told me to get this," she said as she reached into the drawer and pulled out a datacard. "Here, Daddy."

Jag plucked the card from her fingers. He snatched a datapad off the desk and slid the card in. It was a summary of her orders. A refugee convoy had been ambushed. Only two ships had managed to escape. The Crux Squadron had been ordered to investigate. They were expecting a confrontation. A TIE squadron was accompanying them. Jag glanced up from the datapad at Kyp. His solemn expression reaffirmed his concerns. Jaina was heading into a warzone.

Jag glanced over to Davin. The boy was sitting stiffly in the chair, eyeing him. Ani had stood up from the floor and was humming quietly to herself as she climbed into the other chair. Jag had no doubt that Davin knew the situation was serious. Ani either didn't understand or was ignoring the situation; he wasn't sure which.

"The squad's simulations are in an hour," Kyp commented. "I was thinking we would run the Belsavis run."

"It would expose any weaknesses against an interdictor," Jag pointed out. He continued as he walked over to one of the shelves on the wall. "We could block communications."

Jag removed a disc from the stack and handed it to Kyp. He took the disc and asked, "Did they run this with you?"

"Not yet. I figured you would like to be present."

Kyp grinned as he stood up and said, "This is going to be fun. I'll set it up. See you in an hour."

He smiled at Ani and Davin as he left the room. Ani hopped off her chair and walked over to him. She took his hand and asked, "Do you have to work, Daddy?"

"Yes, we need to find your grandmother or aunt," he answered. He picked her up, and then motioned for Davin to follow him. They exited the office and made their way to through the base to the apartment block.

"I want to do it!" Ani squealed as she wriggled down from Jag's arms and pushed the bell next to her grandparent's door. Wyn opened the door a few moments later. Ani threw her arms around her aunt's legs as she exclaimed, "Auntie Wyn!"

"Hello, Ani, Davin. Jag, do you need a babysitter?" she asked as she patted Ani on the back.

Jag gave her a guilty look. He and Jaina had kept the children with them as much as possible. Neither one wanted to take the kids to a babysitter unless absolutely necessary. Because Jaina wasn't in charge of a squadron, she had more time than Jag and usually took Ani and Davin with her during Jedi business.

"Do you mind? Jaina was called out and I've got simulations to run," Jag asked.

"Come on in, kids. I bet your grandmother has some cookies ready for you," Wyn answered. She ushered the children into the apartment. She smiled reassuredly at Jag, "Go on, we're fine."

"Thanks, Wyn," he said, shoot her a grateful smile and hurried down the hallway.

Steam hissed as the landing ramp of the _Sunfire _lowered. Jacen strolled down the ramp with his duffle bag slung over his shoulders. He'd been sent to the base to bring Danni samples from Yavin IV. Valin was with him to help him pick up the new X-Wings. Valin would pilot one back while the other stayed in the _Sunfire's_ hold.

"Jacen!" a voice called. His head snapped up as Britna ran into him. She embraced him tightly. "Are you okay? I heard you were hurt!"

Jacen hugged her awkwardly, and then stepped back, "I'm fine. It was nothing."

Britna rested a hand on his forearm, "Are you sure? I was so worried."

Jacen felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud squeal, "Uncle Jacen!"

Britna barely made it out of the way before Ani collided with his legs. Jacen scooped her up, dropping his bag to the floor. "I didn't know you were here, Ani."

"I live here now, with Mama and Daddy and Davin," she explained as she draped her arms around his neck. "You back?"

"For a day. I have to pick up some things for Uncle Luke," Jacen explained, and then looked around, "Where's Davin?"

"There," Ani said as she pointed towards the side. Jag and Davin were walking towards them. Before they made it to where Ani and Jacen were standing, Britna gave Jacen a rushed goodbye and raced out of the hanger bay.

"Hello, Davin," Jacen greeted as the boy hugged his leg.

Jag gave Jacen a smirk. His eyes darted from Jacen to where Britna had disappeared. "I saw that."

Jacen's eyes widened, "Don't you dare."

"Oh I can't keep this from Jaina," Jag told him wryly. He glanced behind Jacen and nodded to Valin, "Hello, Valin."

Valin waved in greeting as he exited the ship. Ani and Davin began asking Jacen questions about what he had been doing, drawing his attention away from the two me. After a few minutes he was able to get his own question about Jaina's whereabouts in.

"Mama's not here. She's working," Ani told him with a sour look.

"When did she leave?" he asked Jag.

"This morning," Jag responded, and then changed the subject by asking, "Picking up the new X-Wings?"

"Yes, I have some information for Danni, too," he answered. Jacen caught a strong sense of concern from Jag.

"We won't keep you. Come on, Ani, let go of Uncle Jacen," Jag instructed.

"Will come see me?" Ani asked as Jacen put her on the floor.

"Before I leave, I promise," Jacen told her. Satisfied with his answer, she took Jag's outstretched hand. He waved in parting and turned to where Valin was closing the ramp. "Let's get this over with. Danni's questioning is going to last at least an hour."

"She talks a lot?" Valin asked as they exited the hanger.

"Yes and no," Jacen answered slowly. "She's more technical than what you're used to."

"Got it," Valin responded, and then asked slyly, "So, who was the brunette?"

Jacen ignored the question as he began to walk faster. He knew he couldn't outrun the curiosity, but he could try.

The apartment was quiet, a rare occurrence in the past week. Ani had fallen asleep an hour ago after Jacen left. Jag and Davin had spent the evening building a Star Destroyer from small connecting blocks. They had been working on the ship for the past two nights. Jag enjoyed hearing Davin talk about his day, what he liked and anything else the boy could think of. Jag was amazed at how intelligent Davin was for his age. He understood concepts and ideas that Jag didn't think was possible until he was older.

They sat on the floor, Jag leaning against the couch with Davin to his right. The basic shape of the Star Destroyer was complete. Davin put down his brick and looked at Jag with serious eyes. "Mom's doing something dangerous."

Jag nodded slowly, not surprised by the remark, "Yes, she is but she'll come back."

Davin gave him a hard look, one much too cynical for a five-year-old, "You didn't"

Jag didn't have a response to that. Davin picked the block back up and continued to assemble the ship. They worked on it until it was time for Davin to go to bed. He didn't mention Jaina again.

Davin's words haunted Jag the rest of the night.


	22. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**  
Dead, decaying trees blocked the ancient forest path. Tahiri carefully held out an arm for balance as she climbed over the wreckage. If she put too much pressure on the trunks, she would fall through. Jacen walked in front of her, holding his emerald lightsaber blade in front of him. They were searching for stone bricks from a destroyed temple and scouting the area for anything useful or suspicious.

"It's right up here," Jacen said as he pointed to the northeast. Tahiri could see a jagged wall peaking through the forest. It was unknown exactly how the Temple had been wrecked. It had been in pieces for years.

"Have you been there before?" Tahiri asked. She and Anakin had found the Temple ruins, but hadn't entered. It'd had been a week before he left to be Luke's apprentice. Anakin had promised he would come back and they would explore it.

"No," Jacen replied as he sidestepped a spongy Vong growth. The Vong hadn't completely changed the moon, but had experimented on the landscape. Alien organisms intermingled with indigenous species. Tahiri wasn't sure what they had run into. She assumed everything they had encountered were experiments.

They entered a clearing. The remains of a Sith Temple were piled haphazardly around the area. A purplish-green blob covered half the stones that were closest to the ground.

"It looks like a damutek mixed with a yammosk," Tahiri commented as they picked through the rubble. One of the benefits of working with Jacen was that she didn't have to explain Vong-related matters. "Probably some type of experiment."

"It's still alive," he said. "It's not hostile."

" Does it act like a yammosk?" Tahiri asked as she inspected a stone. It looked sturdy enough to move.

"No," Jacen said after a moment. "It just wants to grow. It's eating the stones."

" I wonder if it can survive on anything else," Tahiri thought aloud. She knew that Jacen wouldn't want to kill it, especially so soon after he had killed the dhuryam. She also knew that taking its food away wasn't an option for him. The Riina part of her didn't want to harm the creature either. It wasn't hurting anyone at the moment. However, she knew if it proved to be hostile, they would have to kill it.

"I can't tell. It seems to like rocks the most. Maybe we can take some of them," Jacen mused.

"That should be fine. We can't get to the ones it's already covering anyway," she said. Thunder sounded overhead. She looked up as rain began to fall. "I hate these sudden storms."

"Come on. I see a cave up ahead!" Jacen shouted over the downpour. He grabbed her hand and led her through the rocks and forest. They ran onto a cobblestone path that once led to the Temple. Lighting crashed behind them. One of the dead trees caught on fire. The fire began to spread.

Jacen pulled her inside the cave. They stumbled inside. It was dark, but dry. It was also safe from the lightning, the one part of storms that Tahiri disliked. She started to move away from Jacen when-

Jacen yanked Tahiri behind him, "Shh!"

Tahiri stretched out with the Force and could sense a dark presence in front of them. She looked around his arm to stare at what had once been a woman. She was slightly annoyed at Jacen's protective stance, but she shrugged it off. The woman's blond hair hung in dirty clumps around her face. Her face was covered in blood. A tattered jumpsuit hung off her thin frame. The woman's eyes were black, smoldering with hatred and fear. She clawed the dirt with broken nails. She let out a guttural growl and launched to her feet. Large coral growths poked out of her back.

"We don't want to hurt you," Jacen said gently. The woman ignored him. She twisted around, snatched an amphistaff and charged.

Jacen met the hardened staff with his lightsaber. Tahiri used the Force to flip over the woman and strike from behind.

The woman let out a blood-curdling scream as she twisted around to attack Tahiri. Jacen kicked her as she twisted, causing her to fall. Tahiri landed on top of her, pinning her to the ground. Jacen dropped by her head and clamped his hands on her temples. His eyes fell half-shut as he tried to subdue her.

Tahiri clamped her legs tighter over the woman in an attempt to hold her still. The woman slowly began to settle. Her eyes shut and hands fell slack. The amphistaff rolled out of her hand. Tahiri and Jacen relaxed.

"Do you recognize her?" Jacen asked panting.

Tahiri shook her head, "She must have been an escaped slave."

Tahiri rolled off her as Jacen began to examine her. Tahiri glanced outside as a bolt of lightning struck a dead branch. She could see steam coming off the fire. It wasn't moving towards the cave, at least, she thought with relief.

The Force screamed at her. She whirled around shouting, "Jacen!"

Sweat poured down Jaina's face as she pushed the throttle forward. The skip would not leave her alone. She twisted into a spin in an attempt to throw it off. She pulled out of the spin early and managed to loop around behind the coralskipper. She blasted at it until it finally exploded.

She breathed heavily as she glanced over the scanners. The two squadrons had arrived in-system to an ambush. After they'd escaped from that, they scouted the system. This was the third assault they had endured. At least they were on the way out, getting ready to jump to hyperspace and meet a nearby Alliance support vessel.

"Prepare to jump," a voice called over the comm. She didn't know who had survived the fight out of the two squadrons, but she knew the speaker wasn't her commander. Jaina entered the coordinates and waited for the signal. It came a few seconds later. She pulled back on the lever and then collapsed against her seat. She tore off her helmet to wipe the sweat off her face and then put it back onThey'd lost too many. It was a pointless waste of life.

A white-hot pain burned through Jaina's midsection. "Jacen!" she screamed as she blacked out.

"As you can see, the toxin that our volunteers on Yavin administered soaked into the leg of the damutek as well as the soil. As the damutek grew, the supports weakened. That is what made it possible for the Jedi and captives to defeat the Vong," Jag said to the crowd. A group of around 100 beings was seated in the meeting hall. Some were preparing to head out on their own missions while others had just started the program. Jag, with the assistance of Nichos, was discussing Yavin. Telma would be arriving soon to give a presentation on poisons.

"Is that what we'll be doing?" a new recruit, Roz, asked from his seat in the front.

"Your exact assignment will depend on your location," Jag answered. "Our department scientist Telma will be the one to go over the various types of toxins with you."

As Jag continued to explain what Danni and Telma had for them, Cem slipped into the room. He moved quietly towards the front where Jag was standing.

Jag turned as his brother tapped his shoulder. "What is it?" he whispered as Nichos explained how he and Stav had smuggled in the toxin.

Cem gave him grave look, "It's Ani. She collapsed."

The blood drained from his face. "What happened?"

"Something with the Force, I guess. Davin says it's Jacen," Cem explained helplessly.

Jag looked around at the crowded room. Several beings were watching him. He didn't have a choice; he had to go to his daughter. Jag turned to Nichos, "Can you finish this? Telma should be here in five minutes."

Nichos nodded, "I got it."'

"Thanks," Jag said as he followed Cem out the door. They rushed down the halls to the leeward. Cem led Jag into a small room past the emergency room. His heart thudded in his ears as scenarios flashed through his mind. Despite what Cem had said, Jag prayed that it wasn't Jaina that had caused Ani's collapse.

Jag's heart jumped to his throat as he entered the room. His little girl was lying on the bed unconscious. Davin was seated next to her. Syal was in a chair by her head, stroking her hair. Wyn was standing behind Syal.

Jag rushed forward to the bed. Syal and Wyn moved out of his way before he sat down on the bed. He ran shaking fingers over Ani's hair and face. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "What happened?"

"She was playing by herself. She screamed and when I went to see what was wrong, she was unconscious," Syal explained. She swiped a tear out of her eye. "The doctors say nothing is wrong with her."

"It's Uncle Jacen," Davin said. "Uncle Jacen got hurt and we felt it."

"Are you okay, Davin?" Jag asked.

The boy nodded, "It didn't hurt me as bad."

Jag eyed him. There was something Davin wasn't telling him, "Davin, what else do you feel?"

"Mama's missing," Davin whispered. "It's like she's sleeping but she's not there. Ani didn't feel her cause Uncle Jacen hurt too much."

Jag swallowed nervously, "Is she hurt?"

Davin cocked his head, "No."

Jag breathed a sigh of relief. Jaina wasn't hurt, at least. He looked over to his brother, "Would you mind finding Corran Horn? He's probably at the sims with the Rogues. Tell him what's going on."

"Sure," Cem responded and left the room.

Jag sat down on the bed next to Ani wig Davin while they waited. Jag hated to bother the older Jedi, but he needed to know that Ani was okay. Regular doctors couldn't help him. He sat quietly next to the bed, one hand stroking Ani's hair.

Corran appeared in the room fifteen minutes later with Cem. He closed his eyes for a few moments, and then said, "She there. She doesn't have enough control to block whatever she was hit with. She'll be okay. I've nudged her along a bit."

"Thank you," Jag said with relief. "Have you heard anything from Yavin?"

"No," Corran answered, and then added, "Jaina's squadron is on their way back."

Ani groaned, causing Jag to whirl around to look at her, "Ani?" he said urgently. "Baby, wake up."

"Daddy?" she groaned. Her eyelids fluttered open as she struggled to sit up.

"Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?" Jag asked as he caressed her cheek.

Ani's brow furrowed. She turned to Davin and asked, "Is Unca Jasa okay?"

Davin smiled at her, "He'll be okay. He's still there."

Ani frowned, "No lying, Dav. He's hurt."

"We don't know what happened, but we'll find out," Jag promised as he helped her sit up.

"What about Mama?" she asked worriedly.

"We're going to know soon," Syal reassured her. "I'll go get a doctor."

"Can I go home?" Ani asked Jag.

"I want to have you looked at, just in case, but then we will go home," Jag promised.

"Are you gonna stay with me?" Ani asked with a hopeful look.

"All day," he promised. Jag knew he would be incredibly busy tomorrow to make up for it, but he couldn't leave her. "Lay back down. After the doctor comes, we'll see what's going on with your mama and uncle."

Ani snuggled back down into the covers. "Kay."

An alarm was blaring in the cockpit. Jaina's eyes flashed open. She realized it was the hyperspace alarm. She snapped to attention and gripped the hyperspace level. Once the counter on the navicomputer read zero, she pulled the lever. Stars reverted from lines to dots. The cruiser, the_ Serpent_, waited for the squadron. Jaina's orders appeared on the screen. She followed the landing instructions on autopilot. She remembered feeling a flash if pain from Jacen. She reached out to him; all she could feel were hazy flashes. She checked on the children; they were fine.

The cockpit rose. Jaina tore off her helmet and rested it on the console. Her fingers brushed the holo of Davin and Ani. She hoped she would be able to return home to see them. Having her children at home again was a blessing.

"Colonel Solo-Fel!" a voice shouted. Jaina stood up and looked over to the voice. She didn't recognize the man; he was wearing an Alliance uniform. She jumped down from the craft, wincing. Her entire body ached.

"I've been instructed to bring you this priority message," he said. He handed her a flimsi.

Jaina glanced over it. It was Jag asking her to call immediately. The children felt fine. She hoped nothing had happened to anyone else. For him to track her down…

"Colonel," General Erik Shyl of the Galactic Alliance greeted, causing Jaina to stop her train of thought. "I'll see you at the debriefing in an hour."

Jaina saluted and then hurried towards the communication center. She punched in a code for the Bespin base. She tapped her fingers in impatience. It took several minutes to connect to her and Jag's quarters.

"Mommy!" Davin's voice called. His small face appeared in front of her.

"Hello, Davin," she greeted with a smile. He looked healthy.

"Are you calling to check on Ani?" he asked.

Jaina's brow furrowed. She hadn't sensed anything wrong with her daughter. She wasn't going to ask Davin to explain it. "Where's your father?"

"Right here," Jag said as he appeared in the display. He lifted Davin from the chair and sat down. He placed Davin on his lap. "She's fine. She felt Jacen and passed out."

"Where is she?" Jaina asked worriedly. She wanted to find out if Jacen was okay, but first she needed to see Ani.

"She's getting dressed," Jag said as he glanced behind him.

Ani appeared just then with wet hair and wearing her pajamas. "Mama!"

"Hi, sweetie. Are you okay?" Jaina asked as she looked at her.

Ani nodded, "Uh huh, but what about Unca Jacen?"

"I'm going to call Uncle Luke," Jaina promised.

"Davin lost another tooth!" Ani squealed.

"That's great, Davin. Did you finish your ship?"

"Almost," he answered.

Jaina glanced down at the chrono on the console. She wanted to continue speaking with her family, but she still had to find out what was going on with Jacen and clean up before the briefing.

Jag noticed her expression, "Tell your mother goodnight, kids. She needs to check on Uncle Jacen."

"Night, Mama," Ani and Davin said.

"Be good. I love you both," Jaina responded.

"Love you, too, Mama," Ani said as she blew Jaina a kiss.

"Love you," Davin replied as he slid off the chair. She saw him grab his sister's hand and pull her out of sight. Jaina smiled softly at the gesture.

"Get ready for bed," Jag called to them. He turned and gave Jaina a concerned look, "Are you okay? The kids had trouble sensing you."

"I'm fine. I think Ani and I had a similar reaction," she told him. She smiled sadly, "I have to go."

"I know. I love you."

"I love you, too," she responded and cut the connection. She sighed and rubbed her forehead as she punched in the code to the _Jade Shadow_ and waited. She was closer to Yavin than Bespin, so the signal connected quickly.

Mara's face appeared after a few minutes. She said, "We don't know what happened."

Jaina wasn't surprised that Mara knew why she was calling. She asked, "Where is he?"

Mara proceeded to explain that Jacen had gone with Tahiri to scout the forest and find building materials. Jacen had mentioned investigating a fallen temple. A forest fire was keeping the Jedi from reaching them.

"What's the plan?" Jaina asked. Even if she was allowed to leave, she knew she wouldn't make it in time to stop the fire.

"The fire is dying down. Once it's gone, Luke is going in."

Jaina closed her eyes and stretched out to her brother. He was still in pain, but something else was wrong. She couldn't figure out what, though. She didn't have time to dwell on it. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. Thank you."

Mara waved as she closed the connection. She pushed herself wearily away from the console. She had fifteen minutes to shower before the meeting.

Why couldn't anything ever be simple?  
-


	23. Chapter Twentyone

**Chapter Twenty-one**  
Blood poured from the wound in Jacen's gut. His eyes were open wide with shock. He watched as Tahiri knocked the woman backwards and pinned her down. Tahiri slammed her head into the ground and knocked her unconscious. She snatched the fiber cord on her belt and tied the woman's wrists behind her back. She cut the cord with her lightsaber.

"Jacen," Tahiri said worriedly as she ran over to him. His vision was wavering. Tahiri peeled his hand away from the hole in his side.

"Let me see it," she urged. Jacen couldn't fight even if he wanted to. He was vaguely aware of her cutting around the wound and dressing it with a field bandage. Her hands framed his face as she spoke to him, "I've cleaned it up and dressed it the best I can for now. Can you go into a healing trance?"

Jacen shook his head, "We have to-" he coughed, "Take care of her first."

"What are you going to do? Bleed on her?" Tahiri said with a weak smile. "She's unconscious. I'll deal with her. You concentrate on healing yourself."

"That was stupid," he mumbled. "I should have paid more attention to her."

Tahiri shrugged, "We'll make it sound more impressive when we retell the story. You were fighting off a field of amphistaffs while I was fighting off a carnivorous beast or something."

Jacen chuckled despite the pain, "Sounds good."

Tahiri rested a palm on his forehead as she instructed, "Healing trance. Now."

"Yes, ma'am," he responded and closed his eyes. He fell into the Force, encouraging it to heal his injured body. The world quickly became black.

Sharp words broke through the haze of Jacen's mind as he awoke from the trance. He knew he hadn't been out as long as he needed, but he had little choice. He didn't want to leave Tahiri alone with the strange woman, especially if she was angry.

Jacen sat up slowly. Tahiri was seated about a meter away from him. The woman, still bound at the wrists and ankles, was shouting threats to Tahiri. Tahiri turned and smiled at him, "Good. You're up. Jacen, I would like you to meet our prisoner, Araneya Rev."

Araneya growled at Jacen. Her eyes were wild with hate. She thrashed against her restraints and fell onto the ground. He was impressed that Tahiri had managed to discover her name. Jacen reached out with the Force and felt the same dark emotions as before. This time he was able to scan her more thoroughly. He sensed confusion and helplessness.

"What have you found out?" he asked Tahiri as he sat next to her. She broke off a piece of a ration bar and handed it to him. He gave her a quick smile in thanks.  
"Not much. She was a slave. She either escaped or got lost."

"The death of the dhuryam confused her," Jacen theorized. Araneya was covered in implants. She must have been a slave for at least four years. Her mind felt primal, almost animalistic. Whatever the Shapers had done to her, it had taken away her ability of independent thought. Her reactions were that of an animal trying to survive.

"That's what I thought, too," Tahiri agreed. She glanced at Jacen, "Do you think you can calm her?"

Jacen pursed his lips. He didn't like messing with another person's mind. He knew he had to, though. Her mind was more like one of the life forms he used to collect than his or Tahiri's. He sent calming waves to her brain, just as he would a scared animal. Her mental shields were almost non-existent. The implants had caused her mind to weaken.

Araneya's breathing began to slow to a calmer rate. Her heart rate decreased. As her survival instincts receded, he caught fuzzy flashes of her thoughts. She was confused and hungry. A teenage boy with sandy brown hair flashed through her mind. A gunship raining turbolaser fire on a sandy path caused her to feel scared. Jacen reinforced the sense of calm to try to quell her thoughts. Araneya finally began to relax her hands and shoulders. Her eyes grew calmer and she gave Tahiri a curious look.

"Who are you?" she rasped out.

"My name is Tahiri and this is Jacen. We're on your side," Tahiri said slowly. "Are you hurt?"

Araneya shook her head. Her eyes darted around the cave and she asked, "Where's Master?"

"Your Masters are dead. We are going to take you someplace to recover," Jacen told her. "The Jedi will help you."

Araneya's body began to shake. Her eyes rolled toward the back of her head. She fell back to onto her side as she twisted. She suddenly sat up and began screaming in a Yuuzhan Vong dialect. Her hands clawed at the implant next to her hands as if she was trying to rip it out of her body. Tahiri and Jacen gave each horrified glances as they approached her. Tahiri pulled her hand from the implant while Jacen tried to calm her again. It took much longer to calm her than before and Jacen eventually encouraged her to sleep before he hurt her.

Tahiri sank back on her heels, breathing heavily. Jacen wiped sweat off his brow. They moved away from the woman.

"Did you understand her?" Jacen asked. Araneya had been speaking far too fast for him.

Tahiri nodded, "Yes. She was cursing the infidels of the galaxy and swearing that she would grind our bones into dust."

"Ah, anything else?" he asked.

"Yes," Tahiri said, voice lowering, "She said that the seeder will devour the galaxy, bringing death to all."

"The seeder?"

"I think it's our friend out there," Tahiri responded. "I don't think the dhuryam was her master. I think that thing out there is."

"So she's its caretaker."

"Yes."

"We just walked into a trap, didn't we?" Jacen said wryly.

"Looks like it."

"Something else is controlling her."

"Most likely."

"What's a seeder?" he asked.

Tahiri pursed her lips in thought before speaking, "That's a loose translation. It's something that is bred for the sole purpose of destroying planets and life. It's something in old Yuuzhan Vong lore that was created by Yun Yuuzhan to destroy his opponents. It's said that it causes a slow, agonizing death to whatever it meets. To die by it is to be a scourge to the gods."

Jacen groaned. Their situation was just getting better and better, he thought. He asked, "Anything else I need to know?"

Tahiri shook her head, "Her last words were 'It's coming.'"

"Fantastic," Jacen mumbled. He ran a hand through his hair. He winced as the action caused his side to hurt. He pushed the pain away and asked, "Any ideas?"

"I say we kill that thing out there."

"We'll anger whoever planted it there."

"No doubt. I'm sure they'll try to kill us."

"Probably," Jacen replied. He paused as he could feel his uncle and sister reaching out to him. He removed his comlink from his belt and tried to call, but all he received was static. "I think the fire is messing with the signal."

"It's slowing down. All we can do is wait," Tahiri replied as she settled against a wall in the cave.

Jacen sighed in frustration. He and Tahiri had stumbled upon something. He didn't know how bad it was. What Araneya had said made it sound horrible, but he wasn't sure if they could believe everything she said. She was, after all, brain damaged. He didn't want others joining in the mess. He would have to try to make his feelings on that clear through the Force.

Not likely, he thought to himself as he closed his eyes. Even if his uncle did understand, he knew nothing short of a legion of Death Stars would keep him away.

The datapad clattered onto the desk as Jag collapsed back into the chair. He had exactly sixteen minutes before he had to be at a meeting with a group of operatives before they left that evening. There were three going on the mission. They were flying a cheap, old shuttle to Barab I. Jag had heard from Iella that the Vong had decreased their numbers on the planet. There were five large slave areas. The shuttle was going to break down and "crash land" on the planet's surface in one of them. They would then locate the dhuryam and administer a toxin in an attempt to free the slaves. Before that, though, they had to convince the others to revolt. He hoped it worked. One team died when trying to infiltrate Wayland a month ago.

This mission was the boldest undertaking his project had taken so far. In four days, Jag would send another team as back-up. He felt he should go with them, but he had to obtain clearance to leave from his uncle first. He also didn't want to leave Ani and Davin until Jaina returned. As of last night, she was on her way back.

Jag was fairly confident that they would succeed. In the end, he didn't have much choice. He had concocted this plan and he had yet to participate in it. He would find a way off the planet, no matter what. He knew that if his group succeeded, not only would the Alliance gain another planet, but also it would be a massive morale booster. Yavin IV had been a Jedi victory. They needed a military one.

Jag was exhausted. He'd left before the children awoke. His mother had agreed to come over and stay with them. She had also been up early. It was Wyn's first day as a communications officer. Jag himself had started early on programming the Dozen's sims for that morning. He'd spent the rest of the morning taking care of the final details the Barab I mission. He'd run the simulators and then finished finalizing the shuttle preparations.

Kyp walked into the office. He went over to the computer terminal on the wall and inserted a date disc. "I'm going to wring their necks."

"What for this time?" Jag asked.

"After you left, the Rogues came in. One thing led to another and they ended up slaughtering us," Kyp stated with a frown.

"Gavin goaded you into it," Jag stated as he gestured for Kyp to continue.

He glared. "Anyway, they won and now the Dozen has to take half their morning patrol."

It was Jag's turn to glare, "Whose bright idea was that?"

"Gavin's, of course. Behind that farm boy innocence lurks a devious monster," Kyp muttered.

"You agreed," Jag accused.

"Yeah, yeah," Kyp mumbled. "Sorry."

Jag groaned, "You're killing me, Durron."

"What did you have planned for tomorrow?" Kyp asked as he copied the disc.

"Don't worry about it," Jag stated. "We'll use patrol to whip the others back into shape. Increase their drills, too. We'll tell them if they don't get it right, they will run two hours of sims after the patrol. If they still can't master it, another two hours."

"You're evil," Kyp commented.

Jag stood up from the desk. Before he walked out the door, he responded, "Next time they won't lose."

"Bite down to activate it," Telma said to Kit Nyle, one of the members of the first Barab I team. She handed him a canister containing a clear tube with glowing green liquid. "Let it mix with your salvia for ten seconds, and then spit it onto the structure. It takes five to seven seconds to soak in."

"Okay, what next?" Kit asked. He was sitting on her examination table.

Telma tugged on a pair of gloves. "Next I need to cut a slit in your wrist and insert the toxin that will weaken the slave seeds. I'll leave a small part poking out from your skin to remove it. It will hurt, but the Vong won't notice it hidden there."

Kit flinched as Telma injected a mild anesthesia into his arm. He asked, "How do I activate it?"

"Just break off the top portion. There's a powder inside. Sprinkle it over the implants. It's quickest if applied to the base, but anywhere is fine," Telma explained as she inserted the tube into his skin.

"How many implants will it work on?"

"Six to ten, size depending," she responded. She began to sew the incision closed.

"How many do I get?"

"The most we've done is four," Telma said. "There's a risk of infection if the tubes burst with some species. I hate to more than that without furthering testing."  
"I'll take four then," he said.

Telma smiled at him as she said, "I figured as much."

Telma finished inserting the rest of the toxin tubes. She kept the conversation light; she didn't want to stress out Kit or any of the others before they left. He was the last one she was seeing today. She would see the next group in two days. She was glad that she could contribute to the war effort in a field she was comfortable with. Her former career as a surgeon had benefited her greatly. Many of the practices had transitioned well into the scientific research she helped Danni with.

After Kit left the room, she cleaned up the area. She had enough supplies for the next group, but needed to go to the lab and create more. She and Danni had been able to draft a few younger scientists to aid with the project. It freed up their time to work on the mystery of Csilla. They hadn't made any breakthroughs yet, but Danni kept saying she had a feeling they were close. Telma believed her.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Telma called. Britna was standing in the doorway.

"Hello, Britna," she greeted.

"Hi, Telma. Are you busy? I didn't mean to interrupt," she said quickly.

"No, I'm all finished here. What did you need?" Telma asked as she threw away her gloves.

"I think I'm ready to help," she said quietly. "I should have gone before, but…"

"No one is making you do anything, Britna," Telma reassured. "I'm not sure why you are telling me, though. You should talk to Jag."

"I can't find him," Britna admitted with a shrug. "He's impossible to hunt down."

Telma chuckled, "I'll give you that. I'm meeting with him this evening. I'll tell him for you."

"Thank you," she said gratefully. "Do you need any help?"

Telma shook her head, "Not right now. What have you been up to?"

"I've been helping out the new refugees," Britna answered. Telma gestured for her to walk out the door and followed her.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, so many pass through here. I know it's not as helpful as everyone else," she said. "It doesn't feel like I'm doing enough, though."

"Helping the refugees is just as important," Telma reassured.

Britna didn't respond. She walked out of the medical center with Telma. Telma said, "I'll find you with the refugees after I speak to Jag."

"Thank you," Britna said. She waved goodbye and walked off. Telma hurried through the halls to the lab. She was anxious to finish preparing the toxins before she met with Jag. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling something big was coming. She planned to do everything possible to guarantee she was ready.


	24. Chapter Twentytwo

**Chapter Twenty-two**

The hour was late; or early, depending on whom you asked. Jaina slipped into the dark apartment. Everyone was sleeping. She set her helmet on the table and walked over to the children's room. She opened the door and slipped inside to check on them. They were both sleeping. She left the room after a moment; she didn't want to wake them. She kicked off her boots and went into her and Jag's bedroom.

He rolled over and said groggily, "Jaina?"

Jaina unzipped her flight suit, stepped out of it and tossed it on the floor. She slid under the covers next to him. She wasn't surprised he had woken up; he was a light sleeper. "Hey."

"Welcome back," he whispered as he pulled her closer to him.

She kissed him softly, and said, "You look tired."

"Long day," Jag stated. He craned his neck to check the time on the chrono and said, "I have patrol in four hours."

"Did you just come to bed?"

"About an hour ago. Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, but we lost quite a few," Jaina told him. She then went on to explain how pointless the entire mission was. They had accomplished nothing aside from some useful information on an up-to-date survey of the system. It wasn't worth the cost, though.

"I'm really sorry, Jaina," Jag said quietly.

"We lost Melina," Jaina told him, voice cracking. Melina Leston had been her squadron commander.

Jag didn't respond; he just held her tightly. Losing any squad mate was always hard, but the loss of a commander was more difficult. Witnessing the fall of a leader shook confidence. Jaina didn't know who was going to take over the position. The XO, N'Arin Leer, was in a bacta tank. It was unknown if he would be able to fly again.

There was nothing she could do about it now, she knew. She felt Jag kiss the top of her head. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep in the comfort of her lover's arms.

Everything in the shuttle vibrated as the pilot flew towards the surface of Barab I. Kit shifted in his seat. His ooglith cloaker-like garment, developed by Alliance scientists in order to block out the radiation from the small star, was uncomfortable. He gripped his seat at the ship's speed increased.

"Impact in thirty seconds. Hold on tight," warned Render, the male Rodian who was piloting the shuttle.

Kit held onto his seat tighter. This was it. Either they survived the crash or they wouldn't. Render had done everything possible to maintain their odds of survival.

The shuttle smacked into the hard earth, causing the three occupants to slam against their restraints. Kit swore he blacked out for a couple seconds. After the ship settled, he undid the clasps and fell to the deck. He noticed the others were doing the same. He opened a weapons locker and began setting charges in the ship while Render gathered blasters. The third member, a female Barabel named Reta opened the hatchway.

"We mussst hurry," she hissed as the ramp fell with a loud crash.

The three ran out of the shuttle. Fortunately, Reta knew the area and led them into a tunnel. Render opened up a map of the planet. Each of the slave compounds was marked.

"Okay, Kit, you go that way," he said pointing to the west. "You have your map and the time table. We're on schedule so proceed as normal."

"That sounded almost official," Kit commented wryly. "You'll make a military man yet."

Render made an annoyed sound, "If we get out of here, I'm going to be a fruit vender or something. No heroics for me."

"If you say so," Kit said with a smirk. He glanced at his wrist chrono, "Sunset is in an hour. We better get going."

The three wished each other luck and then parted ways. Kit crawled through the tunnel toward the west camp. He was sure that the Vong wouldn't notice one more prisoner in their custody. They probably had no idea who the prisoners even were. Kit chuckled. No one ever seemed to know whom he held captive, unless that person was a celebrity or politician. They always overlooked the damage the common person could do.

Kit crawled for hours. He had to stop a few times to rest. He hoped that Render and Reta had found their camps by now. His was the farthest. Reta had requested to take the largest, which was granted to her. This was, after all, her home world.

Kit checked the map. He was as close as he could get in the tunnels. He crawled up through the opening, which was hidden by a rock formation. Reta was positive the Vong wouldn't know of it. He wormed his way out of the hole, grateful that it was still night, and crept towards the settlement. It was set up as most of the Vong's slave colonies were. Kit assumed that the dwellings were able to block the radiation from Barab I's red dwarf star. Kit hoped his suit was functioning properly. Radiation poisoning would certainly create a problem.

He walked towards the closest dormitory. Two guards stood outside. They were lower caste warriors. They had almost no visible tattoos or mutilations. Kit found that the Vong's constant showboating of their social status disgusting. That type of competition bred hatred and violence.

The guards barely spared him a glance as he entered the dormitory. He wandered through the rooms; about half the beds were filled with sleeping slaves. They had an excessive amount of implants, which was good news for the operation. Kit found an empty cot and laid down to wait until morning. He would find the stronger slaves first to discover how life was at the West Barab I slave camp in the morning.

"Hey, I got a signal!" Tahiri exclaimed with surprise. Jacen glanced over at her as she dialed a frequency. He guessed she was calling Luke.

He was right. "Master Skywalker! Thank the Force," Tahiri exclaimed. She then proceeded to tell Luke everything that had occurred. Jacen could feel a shock from his uncle. He turned to check on Araneya; she was still asleep.

"I don't know. Something like that would take years to develop," Tahiri was saying. She was talking about the item they had found. "Absorbing a large amount of nutrients sped up its development, but where would it find…. Oh gods."

Silence rang through the cave. Mara's voice came over the speaker, "Csilla. That's why they destroyed Csilla."

"It makes sense," Luke interjected. "Not only did they obtain the materials to grow the seeder, but they took out a government capital."

"Tahiri, what exactly will this thing do?" Mara asked.

"When it's let loose on a planet, it secretes poisons to kill life. The legends say that it takes less a couple days to destroy an ecosystem," Tahiri said. "I don't know if it moves or not, or how they transport it."

"And you're sure that's what it is?" Mara asked.

"Definitely," Tahiri reassured. "What do you want us to do?"

"Keep the woman as calm as possible until we get there," Luke instructed.

"Will do," Tahiri answered as Luke ended the transmission. She tucked the comlink back into her belt.

"He didn't ask if we were going to kill it," Jacen observed.

"Of course not. He knows better," Tahiri stated, flashing him a smile. "What should we do about our friend here?"

Jacen shrugged, "I guess leave her here. I'd hate to knock her out."

Tahiri bent down and took the coiled amphistaff. She wrapped it around her arm. "Okay, now we can leave her."

"Do any of your memories say how to kill this thing?" Jacen asked. He bent down to make sure that Araneya was secure.

"No. All the legends say is that Yun Yuuzhan was the only one who could control it," Tahiri told him.

"Great," Jacen groaned. He hated what they were about to do, but they had no choice. It wasn't the seeder's fault it had been bred for destruction. It had completely innocent intentions. He was grateful that Tahiri was with him. She had been more help than she could know during his episode with the dhuryam.

They walked out of the cave together. The fire was reduced to smolders. The seeder had almost doubled in size. Tahiri unwound the amphistaff from her arm. She flicked her wrist so it formed a razor sharp spear. Jacen pulled his lightsaber off his belt and ignited it.

"How do you want to do this?" she asked.

Jacen closed his eyes. He focused on the seeder's systems. He located its pulsing heart near its middle. He could sense each individual mouth as the creature crunched rock. The rock traveled through the many esophaguses to one large stomach, about a meter away from the heart. Veins carried blood and nutrients throughout the body. Jacen called an image of an amphistaff to the creature's mind. It shuddered in fear and thought about its weak spot, under its heart, where the primitive brain was located. Thousands of tiny poisonous spines guarded it.

Jacen opened his eyes as he responded, "We need to get under it."

"Of course we do," Tahiri muttered.

"The heart is against those two broken walls of the temple. If we can get inside, we can get to it," Jacen said. "There is this fleshy piece surrounded by poisonous spines. We need to stab there."

"Oh, lovely. I thought this was going to be easy," Tahiri quipped. "So, you think you can distract it enough to make it relax?"

"I have no idea," Jacen admitted. He wasn't sure how well he could fight its survival instincts. He guessed that if something touched the membrane, the spines would automatically react. Whether they would contract, spit poison or stab, he didn't know. He didn't want to trick it, but allowing it to harm Tahiri was unthinkable. He had no doubt that Anakin would find a way to return to the living long enough to pulverize him if that happened.

"It can't hurt that bad," Tahiri mused. "I mean, after the first fifty bites, we won't even feel it. You relax it as much as possible. I'll drive the amphistaff inside, and then we run."

"That's a daring plan," a male voice hissed from behind. Jacen and Tahiri spun around. A tall male Shaper stood behind them. Two Adepts stood on either side of him. The Shaper's headdress twitched in agitation.

Tahiri and Jacen began to back away from the Shaper. They moved closer to the seeder. Jacen hoped the Shaper wouldn't notice. He ignited his lightsaber and held it in a low defensive position in front of him. Tahiri ignited her own blade, the blue hue reflecting off the gleaming armor of the amphistaff she was still holding. Jacen could see revulsion in the Vong's eyes at the sight of an infidel wielding one of their weapons.

"You think you can escape?" he said with a growl. Four Warriors appeared. One threw a coufee that Jacen dodged easily.

"Keep an eye on the Shapers," Tahiri whispered.

"Take out the Warriors first?" Jacen suggested as the four stalked forward.

"Let's do this."

Wedge stared at his the read-out on his desk. He'd been sitting there for an hour. He had received a call from Luke yesterday informing him about what Jacen had found, along with the progress the Jedi had made. Wedge had taken the information to the other military commanders and the intelligence division. At that meeting, Iella had presented a report stating that the Yuuzhan Vong forces were weakening.

Over the past month, Chief of State Cal Omas and the Senate had been pushing an end to the war. Wedge had presented a report to him about Jag's program. Omas had taken it back to his advisors. He had contacted Wedge yesterday informing him that he wanted to speed up the program. He thought it was a crucial method to weaken the Vong.

Wedge didn't know what Omas was planning. He wasn't in charge. Wedge had been given the option to head the Bespin headquarters or to be sent all over the galaxy. Several members of the military backed his efforts at Borelais, and encouraged him to take the job. Wedge enjoyed the stability. He had to do the normal military work in addition to office work.

His favorite part of his position was that he had been able to keep Syal and Myri with him. He and Iella had decided that they were going to bring the girls back to the base. He loved that when he came home at night, his family was there. When he and Iella had to work at the same time, the girls would stay with his sister. If only this war was over…

Wedge looked back down at the sheet of flimsi. The government had moved around his squadrons and was messing with his plans. He hated it. He hated when the government became too involved with military affairs. He had already met with Kyp Durron about the changes in the Dozen. He needed to speak with Jaina. His subordinates had offered to deliver her orders, but Wedge needed to tell her himself. She was family; he couldn't let just anyone tell her about what was going on.

Iella walked into the room. She sat down on the corner of his desk. She asked, "What's up?"

"It's too early to be working," Wedge muttered.

Iella gave him a soft smile, "No doubt there. Have you sent out all the orders yet?"

"Everyone except Jaina."

"How did Kyp take it?"

Wedge shrugged as he replied, "He didn't seem to mind it much."

"He's changed."

"Who hasn't?" Wedge shot back. This war had caused everyone to revaluate their lives and values. Everyone had lost something.

"What are you waiting for?" Iella asked.

"Jaina just returned last night," Wedge explained.

"You feel guilty," Iella accused.

"I helped convince them to bring her kids back here and now I'm not only issuing the orders for Jag to be gone, but now Jaina," Wedge groaned. "Syal is going to have my head."

"Ah, the great Wedge Antilles' true fear, his big sister," Iella said with a chuckle. She slid off the desk and moved to stand behind him. She rested her hands on his shoulders. "Oh if Soontir could see you now."

"Hey now, he cowers in front of my sister," Wedge stated defensively. "No one can say no to her."

Iella chuckled, "How true. There's something else bothering you."

"I can't hide anything from you," Wedge admitted. He took her hand and pulled her to stand in front of him. "Omas is up to something."

"Isn't he always?"

Wedge gave her an irritated look as he continued, "I don't like sending our fighters out without knowing what's going on."

Wedge stood up from his chair, "I need to get this over with. After I talk to Jaina, I have to see Tycho to review squadron reports."

"I'll see you tonight," Iella promised. She kissed his cheek and left the room. Wedge snatched the flimsi form his desk, shredded it and threw it away. He turned and walked from the office. He had a long day ahead of him.

Han chafed under his collar. He hated Hapes. Luke had called Leia, asking her to talk to Tenel Ka for him. Leia, of course, agreed. She had made Han prepare the_ Falcon_ and they took off for Hapes.

"Uncle Han, how long do we have to stand here?" Ben whined. Leia had insisted on taking their nephew. She had spent a lot of time with him during their stay, especially after Ani and Davin had left.

"I'm not sure, kid," he replied. They were waiting to be called in for an audience with Tenel Ka. Their request wasn't exactly a secret.

Han smirked as Ben shifted in his dress clothes. Ben had been excited to see another planet, but he was clearly changing his mind. Leia was standing slightly in front of him dressed in a gold sheath dress. Her hair was coiled in an intricate style on top of her head. Han hadn't seen her dress up like that in years. He had a feeling that she enjoyed it.

"Princess Leia, Queen Mother Tenel Ka will you see now," a tall, blond haired woman said. Han had forgotten her name. Leia thanked her and followed her into the chamber.

"Wow," Ben whispered in shock. Han had to admit the room was impressive. The vaulted ceiling went on for meters above their heads. The walls were decorated with gold, gems and pearls. Statues and paintings lined the room. Tenel Ka was seated on a dais at the back of the room. Han nudged Ben forward. He had stopped to stare at his surroundings.

"Hello, Princess Leia and Captain Solo. You are Ben Skywalker, correct?" Tenal Ka said as they approached.

"Yeah, Tenel Ka, I mean Your Majesty," Ben said blushing.

Tenal Ka smiled at him, "It's nice to meet you, Ben." She turned to her staff and ordered, "Leave us. All of you."

The members of the court slowly shuffled out of the room. After they left, Tenel Ka's shoulders dropped slightly. Leia smiled sympathetically at her, "We'll make this fast."

"No need to rush," Tenel Ka assured her. "Master Skywalker sent you, I take it."

"Yes," Leia replied. She then explained the situation on Yavin IV.

"Uncle Han?" Ben whispered.

"Yeah, kid?"

"This is boring."

Tenel Ka turned to him chucking, "Ben, how about you and Captain Solo explore my private gardens?"

"Can we? Please, Uncle Han?"

"I think you need to apologize to Tenel Ka first," Leia instructed.

"I'm sorry," Ben said firmly. "I should have been quiet like I said I would."

"Thank you, Ben," Tenel Ka responded. "Come, we can continue this discussion in the gardens. To tell you the truth, Ben, when I was your age I always thought my mother's work was boring too. "

Han grinned at Leia as Tenel Ka led Ben out of the throne room to a private hallway. Han rested a hand on the small of Leia's back, "Think we'll get a few minutes alone?"

"Han," Leia scolded, "Hush."

"Feel free to explore," Tenel Ka told Ben as they arrived in the garden. Four paths led to a large fountain that sat in the middle of the garden. Trees, bushes and flowers lined the path. Some small animal Han had never seen before was drinking water from the fountain's edge.

"Come on, Uncle Han!" Ben called as he made his way to the fountain.

Leia said. "Make sure he doesn't rip his clothes."

Han made a face as he followed his nephew. Negotiating with Tenel Ka would be easier than keeping that kid out of trouble.


	25. Chapter Twentythree

**[b]Chapter Twenty-three[/b]**

Jaina grumbled as the door chime rang for the fifth time in five minutes. She had been asleep when it first rang. Jag had already left for his patrol hours ago. Davin and Ani were still asleep. Whoever was at the door better have important news, Jaina thought. She didn't know why they couldn't leave a message.

Jaina opened the door and started; it was Danni. "Hello, Danni."

"I'm sorry to bother you Jaina, but I need to talk to Jag and he's not answering his comm," she said breathlessly.

"He's on patrol. Is something wrong?" Jaina asked. Danni's eyes were wild with surprise and excitement. "Come on in."

Danni followed her inside. Jaina motioned for her to sit at the small table near the kitchenette. She asked, "What's up?"

"I heard from Master Skywalker. He thinks he knows why Csilla was destroyed," Danni answered excitedly.

Jaina listened in shock as Danni described what Luke had told her. She hoped they were right, just so the mystery would be solved. She was worried about Jacen and Tahiri, though.

"I can't tell any of the officials yet. I need more proof. But I promised Jag I'd tell him if I found out anything. He did steal the rock for me, after all," Danni concluded.

"Jag stole something?" Jaina asked with amusement. "I haven't heard that story."

"You'll have to ask him for the details," Danni admitted. "He smuggled a chunk of Csilla to me."

Jaina chuckled as she shook her head, "Oh, I will. And I'll tell him to find you."

"Thank you so much," Danni said as she stood up. "I leave you alone now. I'm sure you're busy."

"It's not a problem," Jaina responded as she walked Danni to the door. "I'll see you later."

"See you around," Danni said as she walked out the door. Jaina closed it behind her. She smiled as Davin walked out of his bedroom.

"Mommy!" he said excitedly as he ran over to her. She crouched down to catch him, hugging him tightly. She knew that he had probably sensed her when he woke up, but actually seeing her erased any fears he still held.

"Did you get home while I was sleeping?" he asked.

"Yes," Jaina told him. She stood up and led him over to the kitchenette. "Sit down for breakfast."

"Daddy's working with Kyp, right?" Davin asked after he climbed into his chair.

"Yes," Jaina told him. "He'll be back before you go to sleep tonight."

"Oh," Davin said somewhat dejectedly.

"You can stay up until he comes home," Jaina promised. "But then you have to go straight to bed."

"Okay, I promise," he said. Jaina set a bowl of cereal in front of him, along with a glass of juice. "Does Ani need to wake up?"

"Not yet. She can sleep a little longer," Jaina told him.

"Do you have to go to work?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Jaina told him.

"Okay."

Jaina smiled softly at her son as he ate his breakfast. He looked more like his father every day. Sometimes it was hard for her to believe that she was married with two wonderful children. Her life had been so busy for years that she couldn't imagine what it would be like when the war ended. She would fight until the Yuuzhan Vong were finally defeated. She didn't want Davin and Ani to grow up fearing their lives. Jaina hoped that she had been able to shelter them from some of the pain.

"Mama!" Ani squealed as she raced to the table. Jaina picked her up and set her in her lap. Ani wrapped her arms around her neck in excitement. "You home!"

Jaina kissed the side of her head and said, "I missed you and Davin."

"And Daddy?"

"Yes, and Daddy," Jaina answered with a chuckle. "Are you ready for breakfast?"

"Uh huh," Ani said. Jaina stood up and deposited her into the chair. As soon as she had placed Ani's food on the table, the door chimed again.

"Who now?" Jaina muttered as she stalked to the door and opened it.

Wedge was standing there, looking solemn. "May I come in?"

"Yes," Jaina said slowly. "Is this something the children can hear?"

Wedge glanced over at Ani and Davin. Ani smiled at him while Davin gave him a suspicious look. He turned back to Jaina and said, "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

"The kids' room," she told him. She pointed to the door, and then turned to her children, "You two stay put."

Wedge sat in the room's only chair between the two small beds. Jaina sat down on Ani's unmade bed and asked, "What's going on?"

"We've gathered intelligence stating that the Vong are planning retaliation against the Jedi for Yavin IV and the successes Jag's operatives have had. Because of this, it's been decided that all of the members of Jag's group are being sent in the field by the end of the week. We need to weaken the Vong from the inside before they attack," Wedge explained.

Jaina's brow furrowed in thought. There was more. Wedge didn't need to come to her home and tell her about this. She would have found out either through Jag or at a meeting. "What do you need from me?"

"Jaina, we want you to take control of the Crux Squadron. You're the best for the job. It's your choice, but we really need you," Wedge told her.

"So now that Jag has proven his idea works, the military wants to take advantage of it," Jaina stated, ignoring Wedge's request. She couldn't deal with that at the moment.

"Yes and no," Wedge told her. "We've been planning something like this for months, after Jag first brought up the idea."

"Does he know?"

"Not yet. I'm going to catch him after patrol," Wedge responded, and then asked, "About the squadron?"

"I don't know, Wedge," Jaina said slowly. "Jag's already gone most of the time as it is. We brought the children back out here for a reason. Besides, it will take a lot more time to take over the squadron…"

"What if I told you that you are partnering with an old friend?" Wedge told her. There was a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Oh no. No. I already did that," Jaina said, shaking her head. "Kyp has his own squadron. Jag's his second-in-command. You can't put me in charge of them again."

"We're pulling half of Kyp's pilots and sending them with Corran to help the Jedi on Yavin IV. The remaining Crux pilots will take their places. Kyp already knows this and is fine with it. Jag is being pulled to focus on his operation."

"Oh that's going to go over well," Jaina said sarcastically.

Wedge winced, "I know, but…"

"You have no choice," Jaina stated, "I'll give you an answer after I talk to Jag."

Wedge stood up. Before he exited the room, he said, "I'm sorry, Jaina."

Jaina heard him leave the apartment. She toyed with a tassel on Ani's blanket. As much as she would love to run her own squadron again, she didn't know if she could. She knew that there was more than Wedge was letting on. She also knew that Jag would want to go on one of the missions himself.

"Mama?" Ani called as she came into the room. She climbed onto the bed and sat next to Jaina. "Are you sad?"

"Nope," Jaina told her as she pulled Ani onto her lap. "I can't be sad when I have you and your brother all to myself for the day."

"The whole day?" Ani asked with wide eyes.

"The whole day."

Kit scooped some of the unidentifiable mush onto his wooden spoon. He sat at a makeshift table with seven other slaves. He didn't want to know what he was eating. It was similar to what he had eaten the last time he had been captured. A couple of the other slaves had spared him a glance; he hadn't spoken to anyone.

Two beings sat down on either side of him. One was a tall human male with blond hair and brown eyes. He wore a dirty brown sleeveless shirt. A black cord was wrapped about his wrist. The other was a Wookiee. Kit didn't know its gender.

"This is Myyse and I'm Tu'Ebb," the man said. "We know everyone here and we don't know you."

Kit eyed the two. Myyse bared her fangs in warning. They both seemed to be in charge. Kit said, "My name is Kit."

"How did you get here?" Tu'Ebb asked.

"Are you the leader?" Kit asked. He had strict instructions to talk to the leader of the enclave. He didn't want just anyone to know about the plan.

Tu'Ebb eyed him suspiciously. He motioned for Kit to follow him. Kit disposed of his dish and spoon in a bin by the doorway leading out of the room. Tu'Ebb led him out of the building. Tu'Ebb took Kit into one of the dorms.

Kit began to explain his assignment. He showed them what Telma had implanted into him and described what each chemical would do. Tu'Ebb and Myyse exchanged glances while they listened to his tale. Kit could tell that they didn't believe him.

"Come here," he said. "I'll prove it. Let me put something on one of your slave seeds."

"If you are telling the truth, let's try it on Taia. Stay with him, Myyse. I'll get her," Tu'Ebb said and left.

Kit was nervous. He'd never been around a Wookiee before. He couldn't understand her. He was fairly confident she was female. Myyse sounded like a feminine name. He rocked back and forth on his heels as he waited.

He didn't have to wait long. Tu'Ebb appeared with an elderly woman. Growths covered her back, arms and legs. She walked hunched over.

"This is Taia," Tu'Ebb introduced. "She can hardly move because her implants are so bad. You help her and I'll believe you."

Tu'Ebb guided her to sit down on a cot. She gripped his hand as she lowered onto the cot. Kit grasped the tiny metal prong on one of the capsules from his leg. Pulling a smooth cylinder out of his skin was disgusting. He felt like something was crawling through his veins. A small trail of blood trickled out of the small hole. He snapped off the cap.

"Lean forward," he instructed. He shook the powder onto the base of the seed. He repeated the action on other seeds until he was out of powder.

"How long will it take to work?" Tu'Ebb asked.

"Not long. It'll weaken the bond to her bones and the connection with the dhyuram," he explained. "It should provide her some relief."

It took about ten minutes. They couldn't see a change on the seeds themselves, but Taia looked more relaxed. She rubbed the back of the large cone-shaped seed located at the back of her neck.

"How do you feel, Taia?" Tu'Ebb asked.

"A little better," she said. She slid off the bed. She rested a hand on Kit's cheek, "Bless you."

"I'm convinced," Tu'Ebb said. "Tell me what you want me to do."

Kit grinned, "Good. Is it safe to stay here longer?"

"No. We can go down in the tunnels to work and talk there," he said. "Let's go."

Kit smiled to himself. It was starting to come together.

Jag pressed his lips into a thin line as he stared at Jaina. They were in their bedroom. After he had returned from patrol, he'd received new orders from the high command. Jaina had found him and told him about what Danni had found out and her promotion to squadron leader. She told him that she hadn't agreed to the position yet. Rather than have the discussion in public, they'd gone back to the apartment. Ani and Davin were in their room playing. The discussion was not going well.

"You are going to take it," Jag stated from his position by the wall.

Jaina was seated on the bed, hands resting in her lap, "I don't think I have a choice."

"You know I can't get out of this," Jag stated. He had no problem with Jaina running her own squadron again, but the timing was awful. "We're not going to be home much."

"I know," Jaina said. "I don't like it any more than you."

"Kyp will help," Jag offered. He knew that Jaina could handle it herself, but he hoped that she would accept the Jedi's aid.

"He better," Jaina muttered.

"Ask him to take on whatever needs done," Jag reiterated. "Between the two of you, you should be able to spend time here."

Jaina's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. She accused, "Are you going somewhere, Jagged?"

Jag ran a hand through his hair as he took a deep breath and it out. "Uncle Wedge told me that there's a push to end this mess. I don't know all the details. I'm not sure he knows."

"You are planning on leaving. You are going to get yourself captured again," Jaina said quietly. She stood up from the bed. "Are you crazy? Why do you want to do this? You could die, Jag. It was a miracle that you escaped last time."

"I know, Jaina," he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders, "We need everyone available. I don't want to, but…"

"No, you don't have to. You don't have to do anything. We came back. We sent away our children. We've done every assignment we've been asked to do. You can't volunteer," Jaina argued. "We're not kids anymore, Jag. This isn't like Hapes or Borelais when we could throw ourselves in the fight. That's not us anymore. Years ago, you promised me that our baby would always have his parents. Doing this… it's irresponsible and reckless. You can't."

"Jay…"

"No," Jaina said as she pushed away from him. "You haven't changed your mind. If you leave, you can go explain to Davin and Ani why their father probably won't be coming home. Again."

Dinner that night was an awkward event. Jaina knew that Davin and Ani were aware something was wrong. Ani pushed her vegetables around her plate while Davin kept looking back and forth between his parents.

"Ani, quit playing with your food," Jag scolded. She glared at him as she stabbed her fork into her food. She rolled her eyes as she shoved it in her mouth and chewed.

"Ani…" Jag said, "Enough. Finish your dinner."

Ani dropped her fork on her plate. She crossed her arms over her chest and stated, "No."

Davin's eyes grew wide in shock. He had never seen Ani say no to their parents. Jaina looked towards Jag, wondering what he was going to do. His eyes narrowed slightly as Ani uncrossed her arms and moved to push her plate.

Jag snatched the plate away from her, "You're done."

Ani threw down her fork and closed her eyes. Jaina could feel her trying to reach out with the Force. Jaina was able to block Ani's efforts. She hated doing that, but she had little choice.

"Ani, you know better than that," Jaina admonished once her daughter had stopped.

"Go to your room. Now," Jag stated firmly. Ani shrank back in her seat. She stuck out her lower lip as she slowly slid off her chair. She stormed off to her room.

Davin shifted in his chair. Jag gestured for him to continue eating. Davin bit his lip, but did as he was told. He kept looking at the now-closed bedroom door. Jaina was struck with the memory of whenever she, Jacen or Anakin would be punished. If one was in trouble, they all would suffer. Jaina just couldn't let Jacen or Anakin sit by themselves.

"Davin, clean up and go watch a holo," Jag instructed. Davin quickly dumped his plate and walked over to the couch.

Jag ran his hand through his hair. He looked Jaina in the eye for the first time in hours and asked, "Should you talk to her or should I?"

"It's all you," she responded as she stood up. She began to clear the table. "She knows she's not supposed to use the Force like that. You can handle it."

Jaina scraped the plates and placed them inside the dishwasher. She could hear Jag go into the children's room. Jaina leaned against the sink and closed her eyes. She understood why Jag felt he needed to go. He felt that as the person behind the operation, he should be in the middle of it. It was different then being in a cockpit. What he wanted to do was insane. She knew she was being selfish; most of those who fought had left someone behind. But Jaina couldn't fathom losing Jag again. She didn't think she could do it. She knew she couldn't look her son and daughter in the eye and tell them their father was gone again.

What irritated Jaina even more was that if the situation was reversed, she would do the same thing.

"Mommy?"

Jaina turned around to face Davin. He wrapped an arm around her pants leg and said, "What's wrong?"

Jaina crouched down to pick him up. It wouldn't be much longer before he would be too big for her to hold. She was struck with a memory of him as a toddler. He would rest his head against her chest as she talked to him.

She carried him to the couch and sat down. She stroked his hair as she spoke, "You have nothing to worry about."

"You're mad at Daddy," he stated.

He was always surprising her. She should be used to how observant he was. She said, "A little, but we'll work it out."

"That's why Ani was being bad," he said.

"I imagine so," Jaina responded quietly. She, Anakin and Jacen had behaved similarly as children when their parents argued. She decided they both needed a distraction. "Would you like to work on your Star Destroyer?"

Davin nodded with excitement. He slid of her lap and took her hand. He led her over to the corner of the room where his model sat. Jaina followed his instructions as he told her how to put together the turbolasers.

"See, Mommy, this one goes in the front. Grandpa 'Tir says it gets the Rebels," Davin told her.

Jaina started laughing, "Your Grandpa Han and Grandma Leia were Rebels."

Davin let out an exaggerated sigh, "I know that. They're the good Rebels."

"The good Rebels?"

"Yeah. They aren't bad like that Fey'lya guy. There are bad Imperials, too, like Palpatine and Daala and Iceheart. "

"No more history lessons with your grandfathers," Jaina stated. She would have to remind them, again, to stop trying to convert her children's viewpoints.

"They fight about Thrawn."

"Well, your father and I don't agree about him, either," Jaina commented.

"Grandpa Han says Thrawn tried to take you and Uncle Jacen," he said.

"He did."

"But Grandpa 'Tir says he was really smart. Smart people should know not to take people," Davin stated.

Jaina smiled softly at him as she said, "They should."

"I don't get it."

"It's…" Jaina began, but she didn't know how to explain it.

"Something for grown-ups?" he said knowingly.

"Exactly," Jaina said as she leaned over and kissed his forehead. "You are very smart, Davin."

Davin grinned, "Can Grandpa Han teach me to fly the _Falcon_ yet?"

"No," Jaina told him, chucking. He shrugged and turned back to his Star Destroyer model. She heard him mumble that it was worth a try. Jaina glanced back at the closed bedroom door. She couldn't sense anything wrong. She knew later that night she needed to talk to Jag.

She needed to him to understand.


	26. Chapter Twenty Four

**Chapter Twenty-Four**  
It had taken longer than usual to put to the children to bed that night. Jaina sank down on the couch next to Jag. He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. When she didn't pull away, he gently tugged her closer and wrapped his arm around her. He was grateful that she didn't reject him. They needed to sort their earlier argument out. He said quietly, "We need to talk."

She nodded against his shoulder. "Yes, we do. Let me start. I understand why you think you have to do this. This is incredibly selfish, but I want you to stay. You need to be accessible to everyone. You can't be if you are in some Vong slave camp. That's what being a leader is, Jag. You have to sit back and run the show. Look at Wedge. Tycho told me that he has to stop him from jumping in an X-Wing and joining the fray sometimes. Wedge has to think about the big picture."

"What's the big picture here, Jaina?" Jag asked. He understood her argument. It wasn't as if he wanted to go back into enemy territory. The years he had spent with the Yuuzhan Vong were hell. But he was a soldier. He preferred action to politics and planning.

"You need to stay here to coordinate and to train. Who is going to run this operation if you aren't here?" she argued. She turned to face him with wide, pleading brown eyes and clutched his hands. "Please, Jagged."

Jag closed his eyes. He hated when she looked at him like that. He couldn't refuse her. He leaned in her and kissed her softly. He rested his forehead against hers and said, "I can't promise that I won't be called out, but I won't volunteer."

"Thank you," she answered. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier."

"It's okay," Jag told her. He pulled his hands from hers. He placed one hand on her cheek. "You just want me to stay so I help with the squadron."

"You caught me," she said with a laugh.

Jag leaned over and kissed her again. Her hands clutched the front of his shirt. One hand held the back of her head; his fingers freed her hair from the clip that bound it.

The kiss ended. Jaina smiled at him, sending a jolt through him. She stared at him through her long lashes as she said, "I don't think I've been properly welcomed home."

Blood thundered in his ears as she straddled him. She shot him a mischievous look, "I'm glad I still have that effect on you, Jagged."

He swallowed as she ran her fingers up the back of his neck and through his hair. His skin tingled as she grazed his inner thigh with her other hand. His voice caught in his throat as he said, "I thought I was the one welcoming you home."

Jaina slid off him slowly. She walked towards their bedroom, swaying her hips slightly. She glanced at him from over her shoulder just as her hand touched the doorknob, eyes beckoning him.

Jag pushed himself off the couch. As he walked forward, she pressed her back against the door. He ducked his head down to capture her lips in a quick kiss. She pulled away from him as she opened the door. She took his hand and he followed her inside.

Tahiri stood back-to-back with Jacen as the Vong pressed their attack. Tahiri altered between her lightsaber and amphistaff. Jacen called to her, "We need to get closer."

Jacen felt Tahiri reach out to him with the Force. He accepted the link, something he had been wary of doing ever since Mrkyr. He didn't feel comfortable melding his mind with many people, but he trusted Tahiri enough to go through with it. They moved as an extension of each other as they slowly moved the fight towards the seeder. Two of the Warriors had already fallen and the third was injured. Their blades were a blur of color as they backed towards the seeder.

"Use the seeder as a shield," Jacen said. He felt rather than saw Tahiri nod as she moved away from him. They were in a crevice by one of its many mouths. "Duck under and move towards the heart."

"On my way," Tahiri responded. Jacen saw her drop to her stomach and crawl underneath the gelatinous folds towards the center. There was a small, half-meter gap available to her. Jacen turned his attention to the seeder. He was wedged next to the mouth, which was trying to attack the Warriors. Jacen closed his eyes and reached out to the creature. Its mind was more simplistic than a dhuryam. It was scared and confused about what was going on. It didn't understand why it was being attacked. Jacen tried to soothe it. He felt immensely guilty about tricking it, but he didn't have a choice. The alternative was unacceptable. Jacen continued to send soothing thoughts to the creature. It knocked the remaining Warriors back.

It bucked in alarm as it felt Tahiri close in on its heart. Jacen pushed harder to quell its defenses. He could sense its spines relax. He knew once Tahiri struck it, he wouldn't be able to stop the spines from stinging her. He didn't like putting Tahiri at risk, but they didn't have a choice.

He could sense Tahiri reaching her objective. He gave Tahiri a reassuring touch, and then withdrew. He had to focus on the creature to slow its movements.

Jacen staggered as he felt both a lightsaber blade and amphistaff slice through the seeder. He fell backwards against the twitching skin. He shoved the pain from his mind as he tried to reign in the seeder's turbulent mind. It threw his influence from its mind. Jacen turned his focus on Tahiri. She was in immense pain, but a fiery determination flowed through her veins. Jacen reached out to her to lend her strength. He could feel her fighting her way out, resolve wavering.

Jacen heard a rough scream from Tahiri. He dropped to his stomach. He had to get her out of there. He couldn't let her die; she was his living link to Anakin. The seeder knocked him to the ground and he began to crawl. He was hit again and his forehead cracked the ground, causing him to see spots. His ankle was throbbing. He was vaguely aware of his side stinging, but pushed away the pain. He searched for Tahiri, any part of her. He had to find her.

Her hand appeared through a curtain of spines. He grabbed onto it and pulled. He reached deep into the Force and shoved the spines covering her body back enough to pull her out. He covered her body with hers and rolled out from under the seeder as it collapsed.

Jacen fell off her, wincing in pain. His hand dropped to his earlier injury. He could feel warm, sticky blood on his fingertips. It had ripped. He didn't have time to worry about. Tahiri was lying unconscious. Her heart was beating rapidly. Her skin was pale and covered in small punctures. Her jumpsuit was tattered.

"Tahiri, don't you die on me," Jacen pleaded. He was vaguely aware of the sound of lightsabers humming through the air. He reached into the Force, trying to do something to stop the poison from killing the younger Jedi. He could feel himself become lightheaded from his own blood loss.

"It's eating her flesh," Araneya said. Jacen jolted in surprise. He didn't know how she had managed to escape, or why she was helping him. She crouched next to him, hands still bound. Her eyes were wild, darting back and forth between Tahiri and the dying seeder.

"What can we do?" he groaned out. It was becoming harder from him to stay upright. She answered, but the words sounded garbled together.

Two hands gripped his shoulders and pulled him away. Spots appeared before his eyes as he was moved. He protested, mumbling Tahiri's named as darkness overcame him.

"Jacen!"

Han's head snapped upon hearing his wife's scream. He dropped the small motor he'd been tinkering with on the floor as he launched out of the chair to the kitchen.  
He found Leia doubled over, clutching the countertop with one hand and her side with the other. Han wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her to a chair at the table. He took her hands in his and asked, "What's wrong with Jacen? He's not…."

Leia shook her head rapidly, "No, but he's hurt. Bad."

Han's faced paled. He remembered years ago when Leia had said that Anakin was hurt. Soon after, he had died. Han couldn't image going through that again. He prayed Leia would never feel that type of pain again. She had felt something from Jacen before, but she hadn't reacted this way.

"Go prep the Falcon," Leia stated after a couple moments. "We need to go to him."

"Aunt Leia?" Ben called as he entered the kitchen. "Are you okay?"

Leia turned away from Han. She stood up and rushed over to Ben. Han was struck with a flashback of Leia clutching Ben to her chest as she cried for Anakin. Han squeezed his eyes closed to try to force the memory out of his mind. It was impossible; he remembered every detail about that day with perfect clarity. He clenched his fists. No. He was not going to lose another child.

Han strode out of their rooms. He ran to the docking bay. He started up the_ Falcon_ faster than he ever had before.

"Captain Solo!" Tenel Ka's voice called through the ship. Han turned around in his chair to see the young queen rushing to the cockpit. She clutched her royal blue robes as she skirted a fallen crate. "What's wrong with Jacen?"

"We don't know," Han told her. He wasn't surprised that Tenel Ka had sensed something from his son.

"You're going to Yavin," she stated.

"Yeah, sorry to cut this short," he responded. Tenel Ka looked more worried than he had ever seen her before.

She waved her hand dismissively, "Promise me you'll inform me of his well-being."

"I will," Han promised. He guessed that what she wanted to do was to throw off that elaborate robe and go after Jacen herself.

Tenel Ka looked as if she wanted to add something, but instead turned and left the ship. Han could hear her say something to Leia. She and Ben appeared in the cockpit. Leia strapped the boy into the navigator's chair.

"Ben's coming with us," Leia stated as she plopped down into the co-pilot's chair. "Tenel Ka has already granted us clearance."

Han pulled back the lever and took off. He glanced back at Ben and couldn't stop the slight grin that appeared on his face. Ben was staring in awe.  
Han turned back to the controls. He maneuvered the ship far enough from the planet's gravity well to jump to hyperspace.  
_  
Hold on, Jacen. Please hold on._

Mara and Luke sat in two chairs in the waiting room of the medical center aboard the Errant Venture. The former slave they had found with Jacen and Tahiri had been taken into surgery hours ago to remove her implants. The other Jedi were running clean-up duty. Mara and Luke had taken Tahiri to Booster's Star Destroyer immediately.

"Mom! Dad!"

Mara and Luke whirled around. Ben was running into the waiting room, closely followed by Han and Leia. Mara stood up and caught her son. She felt Luke wrap his arms around the two of them. She could sense his reluctance to withdraw as he moved to speak to his sister.

"Mom, what's wrong with Jacen?" Ben asked as Mara set him back on the floor.

"He was injured. They just took him out of the bacta tank an hour ago," Luke said to both his son and Han and Leia.

Leia pushed past him and disappeared through the doors. Han shrugged and followed.

"Can I go see him?" Ben asked.

"Not right now," Luke told him. "Your aunt and uncle are trying to get in to see him."

"Oh."

"Did you like Hapes?" Mara asked Ben. She was worried about Jacen and Tahiri, but she needed to speak to her son. She had missed him terribly.

"Oh yeah. It was really neat. Tenel Ka showed me all sorts of cool stuff," Ben said. Mara listened intently as Ben described what he had seen. Mara smiled softly at him. He had grown several centimeters since she last saw him. His hair needed cut. He had a scrape on his wrist that was healing. She had spent too little time with her son.

"Mara?" Luke called, jarring her out of her reverie. "Come on."

Mara and Ben followed Luke out of the waiting room and down the hallway. They found Jacen's room. He was sleeping. Leia was sitting next to his bed, stroking his forehead while Han stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

Jacen moaned as his eyes opened. He squinted, "Mom? Dad?"

"Hey kid, how are you feeling?" Han asked.

"Okay. Where's Tahiri?" Jacen asked. Mara wasn't surprised that he wasn't concerned about himself.

Han and Leia looked at Luke. He answered, "She's still in the bacta tank. We haven't heard anything in a while."

"Oh," Jacen responded quietly.

Ben looked antsy. Mara glanced down and asked, "What is it, Ben?"

"I have a message for Jacen," he whispered. Mara smiled softly. She gently pushed him forward. Ben walked up to Jacen and said, "I'm supposed to tell you to that Tenel Ka hopes you get better soon."

Jacen smiled wistfully, "Thank you, Ben."

"Jaina called. She threatened to beat you if you end up in the medcenter again," Mara told him, eliciting a chuckle from Jacen, Han and Leia. Luke had left the room to find a doctor.

"What happened?" Jacen asked.

"You killed the seeder," Mara explained. "We took care of the remaining Vong."

"What about Araneya?"

"She's having her implants removed. She was trying to help Tahiri, we think," Mara explained. "Cighal is taking samples."

Jacen looked conflicted. Mara guessed that it had to do with the seeder. Tahiri had told them about his experience with the dhuryam.

"Well, Jedi Solo, let's have a look," a medic called as he entered the room. Mara glanced at his nametag. It read Dr. Flivven. He snatched a clipboard off the end of Jacen's bed. "I need to examine him. Please excuse us for about a half an hour."

Leia kissed Jacen's forehead. Han squeezed his shoulder, and then they followed Mara and Ben from the room and to the waiting area. Leia sank down in one of the hard plastic chairs. She turned to face Mara, "I hope Ben never puts you through this."

Mara had to agree. She had seen what Jaina, Jacen and Anakin had put their parents through. She prayed Ben would be calmer. Being that he was the son of a Skywalker, however, Mara knew it was wishful thinking. Ben would probably be worse.  
-


	27. Chapter Twenty Five

**Chapter Twenty-five**

Jag rolled up from his back to a crouch. Jaina had succeeded in knocking him over. She and Ani had awoken early that morning sensing something wrong with Jacen. Jaina had finally been able to contact the _Errant Venture._ They hadn't been able to give her any concrete information about his condition. All she had been told was that he was in stable condition.

Ani giggled from one of the benches against the wall, "Mama beat Daddy."

Jaina grinned, "I sure did."

Jag pushed himself to a standing position. He followed Jaina over to the bench. She sat down between Ani and Davin and asked, "What did you learn?"

Davin's brow furrowed in thought. Jag knew that most people would be against having their children watch their parents spar, but he and Jaina felt they could learn from it. "Always watch your hip."

"Good," Jaina said. "What about you, Ani?"

"Um, watch your feet," she said. "I don't know."

Jaina smiled softly at her, "That's important to remember."

Ani hopped off the bench. She tugged on Jag's hand, staring at him with hopeful eyes. She said sweetly, "Daddy?"

Jag shot Jaina an amused glance as Ani swung his hand back and forth. She was using her "I want something" act. Jag crouched down to her level and asked, "What do you want, Ani?"

"Daddy, can we go to the space room when you get done working? Please?"

The "Space Room" was an observation gallery made up of a clear, rounded dome that made up the ceiling and three of the walls. Viewers could see the reds and oranges in Bespin's atmosphere. Ani liked watching the colors change as the sun set.

"Maybe," he said. Jaina needed to meet with Wedge to inform him she was accepting the position of squadron commander. He had to do a final briefing for the second team going to Barab I.

"Come on, you two. Syal and Myri are waiting," Jaina said as she stood up. She took Davin's hand as they left the room. Jag's mother was assisting Iella with a project. Iella had suggested that Syal and Myri keep an eye on Ani and Davin. Jaina had been apprehensive about it, but Syal and Iella promised they would be nearby.

They arrived at the Antilles quarters. Syal opened the door, her sister standing behind her. "Come on in. Mom and Aunt Syal just left. They said to tell you they'll be back soon."

"Be good," Jaina instructed the children. "Listen to what Syal and Myri say."

"No Force tricks," Jag added.

"We'll be good," Davn promised, Ani nodding alongside him.

"You call if you need anything," Jaina told Syal and Myri.

"We will," Syal responded with slight annoyance. Jaina shot Jag an apprehensive look. He took her hand, "We better get going. My people leave in an hour."

"Be good," Jaina repeated and they left. She turned to Jag once they were out of the apartment. "Do you think they can do this?"

"They'll be fine," Jag said reassuringly. He was just as nervous as she was.

Jaina gave him a grateful glance as they made their way through the base. The rest of the walk carried out in silence. Jag hoped that they would hear from Jacen soon. That had been the reason behind the sparring match earlier. Jaina had needed a distraction.

"I'll see you at home?" Jaina asked as they reached the chamber Jag was holding his meeting in.

"Call me if you need me to pick-up the kids," he told her as he gave her a quick kiss.

At least, that was what he intended. Jaina snaked her arms around his neck to pull him closer. She dropped one hand to his waist and slipped her fingers under the hem of his shirt. He rested his hand on her hip as he deepened the kiss. He broke the kiss and whispered in her ear, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she responded. She pecked his cheek and walked off. Jag tucked in his shirt and turned to entire the room. The team was already inside. Telma wasn't there yet, but he didn't need her for the first portion. He began by reviewing the situation on Barab I and what the first team had been assigned to do. There was no way to know their progress, or if they had even survived the landing.

"Sorry I'm late," Telma said quickly as she rushed in the door. Jag motioned for her to begin speaking. He listened quietly as she reminded everyone how to use their biological weapons and basic first aid.

Jag studied the faces of each member. D'arial Laike, a female from Chandrilla and long-time member of the NRI, was the leader. She had a four-year-old daughter who was traveling with Laike's parents and sister. Her daughter's father had been killed in a dogfight two years ago. The pilot of the group, Serasana Wran, had been held captive with Jag. She hoped to one-day find her family after the war ended. Vhiran Finwej, from Sullust, was missing an eye. He had no family; he had been captured on Ylesia. The final member, Tyr Drayen, was a demolition specialist. He had retired early from the Empire two years before the war began. He'd reenlisted and when he heard about Jag's operation when visiting the base, he volunteered. They were all determined to succeed in liberating Barab I.

With beings like that, Jag was confident they would succeed.

The medcenter was quiet. Jacen crept out of his bed to the bacta tank room next door. He was grateful that he didn't wake the others in his room. He tugged his borrowed robe tighter over the standard issue hospital smock. It exposed more of him than he would like. He was sore, but felt better than he had earlier in the day. He knew the medics would be upset with him if they found him out of bed. He had strict orders to sleep. Jacen's ability at following orders was only slightly better than his father's. He could see Tahiri's battered body bobbing in the second tank. She was in a healing trance. An empty chair sat next to it, which had most likely occupied by one of his parents of Kam Solusar. Jacen sat down in it.

Leia had told Jacen that Tahiri had suffered from a concussion, broken right femur and several cracked ribs. Her main ailment was, however, the poison that had been injected into her system. The medics treated her with the anti-venom used to treat amphistaff bites. It had helped somewhat, but not enough.

"Come on, Tahiri," Jacen murmured. His logical side knew that it wasn't his fault that Tahiri was in the tank. He still felt guilty. It was enough to quiet his guilt about killing the creature for now. He knew that he could help her. He had to try.

He loved Tahiri as he loved Jaina. She was like a younger sister to him. It comforted Jacen to know that someone other than Anakin's family would remember him well. He had sworn to keep Tahiri safe, as best as he could. He would be there for her, no matter what. She had connected to Jaina, too, but he and Tahiri had a different type of bond. They both knew the Yuuzhan Vong better than anyone else. This made them into a perfect team. They watched each other's backs, both in fighting and personal well being. Tahiri understood Jacen's inner conflicts. Just as Jacen understood hers regarding Riina and the Jedi. Tahiri had jokingly put Jacen on "head watch." Riina's domain did not tolerate physical contact to the head. Jacen had quietly reminded several about it, saving Tahiri from the pity-filled and frightened looks.

Jacen took several deep breaths as he reached out to Tahiri with the Force. He added strength to her healing trance. He focused on the poison in her system. It was a reddish-brown color, like rust on a speeder. It mingled with the bright pink, yellow and blue that was Tahiri. Her life force swirled with an energetic thunder that banished despair. A slight grey tinge followed the blue, but rather than slowing her down, it made her stronger. Her spirit reminded him of flowing water, laughter, adventure and determination. It was easy to sense why Anakin had fallen for her. He drew the poison to the surface of her skin, molecule by molecule. Small flecks of reddish-brown began to litter the bacta tank.

Jacen withdrew after a time; he was having trouble maintaining the strong connection in his weakened state. He had helped cleanse her body, but the poison was still there. He didn't think it would multiply. Now it was up the Tahiri, and the Force.

_Angry waves crashed against the grey shores of Kalee. Jagged rocks jutted through the sand. The smell of smoke mixed with saltwater. Craters formed from laser blasts lined the landscape. Jaina stood with her arms wrapped around her, staring at the ocean. Her helmet was on the ground by her feet. She had opened the collar of her flightsuit. Her hair whipped around her. Not thirty minutes ago had she been in the air raining destruction on the planet as she fought the Vong._

_Jag appeared from behind a rock formation. He walked up to her slowly; he didn't want to disturb her, but couldn't wait any longer to see that she was okay. _

_When he finally reached her, he wrapped his arms around her from behind. She turned around to face him. Her eyes were solemn and sad. He caressed her cheek with one hand, "Are you okay?"_

_Jaina shook her head, "It's just all this."_

_Jag embraced her tightly. There was nothing he could say to make it disappear. They had fought together, as they usually did. He had flown her wing, the place he wanted to be. She needed to be in front, he knew. He couldn't save her from all the horrors of the universe, but he had promised that he would be at her side. She was stronger than he was. They had flown together for a couple years and knew how each other would react. _

_That night, one of them would come to the other's room, as they usually did. Military regulations required that they stay in separate rooms. They would find comfort in each other. They both found it pointless to have separate quarters. _

_She pulled back from him slightly. She was beautiful. Victories were scattered with losses. Their future was uncertain. Somehow, they had managed to be stationed together often. He needed her. They needed a victory._

"_Jaina," Jag began, voice thick with emotion, "Will you marry me?"_

_Her eyes widened with shock. A slow smile spread across her face. She leaned up and kissed him enthusiastically. As she pulled back, she said, "Yes."_

The hologram of Kalee hung in the air in front of Jag. The war-torn planet had fallen two months after he had spontaneously proposed to Jaina on the smoking shore. He certainly hadn't planned on asking for her hand. It had been the right decision.

The planet was near Endor. It was full of mercenaries who had signed up with the Peace Brigade. They had struck a deal with the Vong to keep the planet. As with other dealings the Peace Brigade had with the Vong, it had been revoked. The Vong turned the planet into a slaving colony. The ripe rainforests were perfect for growing coralskippers. Kalee was on the list of suggested planets for Jag to send personnel. The heads of the military wanted to sabotage as many of the Vong supply planets as possible.

Jag was currently choosing team members by cross-referencing personal experience with biological necessities. Some species simply could not survive on some planets. Only some of the planets the Yuuzhan Vong had captured had been changed. Their resources were thinning. It was easier and more efficient to use planets already suited to their cultivation needs. Some on the list had expressed desires to go to particular planets in hopes of discovering a missing loved one or to try to free their home world.

The leader of the Kelee team was a native Kaleesh, Qymaen. Jag tabbed through the list. After multiple interactions, he had marked several as leaders. He had selected a member with some medical knowledge. He stopped at Renz, Britna. Telma had informed him that Britna wanted to be sent out into the field. She was capable; he'd always believed that. Her problem was self-confidence; she didn't think she was strong enough. He had observed her interactions with the other refugees. She had a rare empathetic ability that reminded Jag of his brother-in-law. She would relate to the slaves well, he thought. He added her to the team list.

Next Jag began to prepare a list of supply and mission parameters. It would take about three days to gather the supplies, locate a shuttle and have each member visit Telma. She and Danni were testing Jacen and Tahiri's theory about Csilla's destruction. Sometimes Jag wondered how Telma managed to keep up with Danni and help him out.

His comm rang. He picked it up and answered it, "Fel."

"Hey, it's me," Jaina's voice called over the tiny speaker. "Can you pick up Ani and Davin?"

"Trouble?"

Jaina let out an annoyed growl, "I forgot how much paperwork was involved with running a squadron."

"Ah. I'll get them."

"I just called to check on them. They seem okay."

"Good," Jag responded.

"I have to go. I'll see you later," Jaina said as she disconnected. Jag turned off the comlink and set it on the desk. It would be at least another two hours before he could pick up the kids. He turned back to his lists. The next planet on his list was Talor, a planet located in the Mid-Rim along the Rimma Trade Route. He would select a team for that planet after he finished the Kalee sabotage mission.

Soon they would cause enough damage for the Alliance could win this war. That day couldn't come soon enough.


	28. Chapter Twenty Six

**Chapter Twenty-six**

"Four and Six, go right," Jaina instructed over the airwaves. She was running training exercises with the Dozen. She had agreed to keep the latter part of the squadron's name. "Let's run that exercise again."

A series of clicks rang over the comm. Jaina began the offensive maneuver and the rest of the squadron followed. The remains of the Crux Squadron and the two new recruits merged well with the Dozen. Thus far, it had gone relatively smooth.

"Much better," Kyp commented as they completed the exercise.

Jaina switched over to a private frequency to ask, "Anything you want us to run?"

"Nah, I think we're good," Kyp replied. "Mixing the flights up removed some of the kinks."

"I agree," Jaina responded, and then switched to the squadron frequency, "All right, Dozen, let's bring it in."

Jaina watched carefully as her squadron landed in their assigned hanger bay. Their landing was slightly flawed; that needed to be fixed. She would increase their simulation time two hours, she thought as she landed her own X-Wing.

She hopped out of the ship and walked over to where the squadron was gathered. She pulled off her helmet and tucked it under her arm as she said, "Instead of four hours in the sims, do six. Practice landing."

No one groaned aloud, but she could sense her annoyance as they were dismissed. Kyp turned to face her and said, "Strict."

Jaina grinned wryly, "They need the practice."

Kyp tipped his head in agreement, "That they do."

"Do you have the report ready for Tycho?" she asked as they left the hanger.

"Yeah."

"Good," Jaina stated. She glanced at her wrist chrono, "I have to go."

She waved at Kyp as she turned and went down the hallway. She walked to Jag's office and opened the door. Ani was lying on the floor playing with one of her toys while Davin was looking at a book in the corner. Both children stopped what they were doing to greet her.

Jag looked up from behind the desk and smiled at her, "Hey, sweetheart. How was the run?"

Jaina shrugged, "Could have gone better. Did you assign all the teams?"

"Finally," Jag stated. He leaned back in his seat, "Fifteen planets."

"Impressive," Jaina told him as she sat down in the chair in front of his desk. "What next?"

Jag ran a hand through his hair. Jaina noted that he had rolled up his sleeves at some point. The tan he had gained while toiling in the villip fields had faded, making his scars less visible. She eyed the one on peeking out from his unbuttoned collar. It had taken some prodding, but he had finally told her that it came from an amphistaff. The overseer had been dissatisfied with another slave's work. Jag had assisted her and was whipped for it. The amphistaff had sliced him deeply. Any deeper and it would have killed him. Jaina's breath caught her in throat at the thought.

"Jaina?" Jag said quietly, noticing her distraught expression.

She shook her head as she stood up and said, "Ani, Davin, clean up. Your dad needs to work."

Jag stood up and walked over to her. He laid a hand on her forearm as he asked, "Are you okay?

Jaina glanced over at Ani. Davin was helping her clean up. She turned back to Jag. Her fingers brushed over his forearm and then touched the large scar by his neck. Realization dawned in his eyes. "Jaina…"

She shook her head again as he pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest. She saw his scars every day, but sometimes one would trigger a memory or fear. It was silly, she knew. Jag was with her. He wasn't going to leave her.

"Mommy?" Davin's worried voice called. Jaina turned her face to look at her son. His brow was crinkled with concern, just as his father's was. Jaina pulled away from Jag and rested a hand on Davin's shoulder, "I'm fine, sweetie. Are you ready to go?"

"I'm ready too!" Ani said. She grabbed Jag's hand, "Do you got to work?"

"Not right now," he stated.

"You have that meeting," Jaina reminded him. That was why she was picking up the children.

"In an hour," he answered. "I'll walk home with you. I need to get out of here for awhile anyways."

Jaina knew what he was up to. He was worried about her. She wasn't going to fight him on it, though. She took Davin's hand in hers and carried her helmet in the other as she left the office. Jag walked with Ani. The walk to their apartment was brief, something she was grateful for. She wanted out of her flightsuit.

After entering their apartment, Jag set out a snack for the children while Jaina went to change. She threw her flightsuit into the laundry bin and dug around in the closet for clean clothes. She pulled out a pair of black pants and a dark purple button up shirt. She wasn't surprised to hear Jag open the door and enter the room. She turned to face him, shirt clutched in her hand. He crossed the room quickly. He placed one hand on her hip and the other brushed her cheek. "I love you."

She ran her fingers along his bare forearms. His skin quivered under her touch. She stared into his pale green eyes as she said, "I was thinking about…before. I was thinking about this."

She touched the wide scar by his neck. She reached up and kissed it softly. His arms wrapped around her waist. He kissed where her neck met her shoulder. He moved his lips across her shoulder. He slipped her bra strap off her shoulder as his lips moved to her collarbone. Her shirt dropped from her hand.

"I have to go," he mumbled, then kissed her shoulder again. She rested her hands on his forearms. She kissed the scar over his eye, and then said, "I know."

He kissed her forehead, and took her hand. He squeezed it tightly and let it drop as he left the room. Jaina bent down to pick up her shirt and put it on. She ran a hand through her hair and exited the room. She had work to do before Jagged returned.

Tahiri clutched a medic's arm tightly as she attempted to walk to the refresher in the room containing the bacta tanks. She was light-headed and weak. She had no idea how long she had been in the tank. She wasn't even sure what had happened to her. She remembered stabbing the creature she and Jacen had found on Yavin IV. She remembered slashing at the poisonous spines with the amphistaff before a piercing pain shot through her and that was it.

The medic helped her in the refresher, and then led her into a nearby recovery room. After she was arranged on the bed, she was left alone. Tahiri rested her head on the pillow and tried to clear her head.

"Tahiri?"

Tahiri looked up and grinned as Jacen entered the room. He was wearing a non-descript brown shirt and pants. She didn't see any injuries. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. How are you feeling?" Jacen asked as he walked up to her bed. He pulled over a chair and sat next to her.

"Good. What happened?"

Tahiri listened silently as Jacen explained everything. He described her injuries and how she had recovered. Tahiri smiled gratefully at him when he told her what she had done. She rolled her neck, causing it to crack. It banished some of the tension in her head.

"What now?" she asked.

Jacen shrugged, "Well. Araneya is still recovering. Physically, she's fine, but she's half-mad. Uncle Luke has her locked up in solitary confinement in the med center for her own protection. She won't talk to anyone. Aunt Mara suggested sending us in."

"Sure, once I get out of here," Tahiri stated. "Speaking of which, I wonder when I can leave."

"When you feel up to seeing her, let me know," Jacen said as he stood up. "I better get back before Mom or Dad catch me."

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine, I just haven't technically been discharged yet," Jacen said with a roguish grin.

Tahiri chuckled as he left the room. She hoped she could leave soon. She had many questions for Araneya. She wanted to know why the Vong were growing a mythical beast. It was something used only one other time. She had known that the Vong were running out of material and warriors, but were they worse off than believed?

Kit wiped sweat of his brow. He was working with the other slaves in one of the tunnels picking spongy growths for food. He had already sprinkled his poisons on the damutek supports. Myyse and Tu'Ebb suggested he take out the damutek where most of the Yuuzhan Vong stayed. They had kept watch while he applied the chemicals.

"Hey, Kit."

Kit glanced over to the voice. It was Tu'Ebb. "Kit, get over here."

Kit followed him down the tunnel. Myyse was keeping watch. She growled for them to continue forward. The Vong overseer was several meters away. Kit and Tu'Ebb slipped through the back of the tunnel.

"We got to hurry," Tu'Ebb said as they exited the tunnel. They sprinted to the next tunnel half a meter away.

"D'arail!" Kit exclaimed. "When did you get here?"

"Hours ago. We're your back up," she said. She updated him on the most recent war information, and then told him that they were supposed to press forward with the plan. Kit explained what he had done. He introduced Tu'Ebb to explain the situation with the slaves.

"We would like to kick the Vong where it hurts. Most of us have been lucky enough to miss out on the heavy implants," he said.

"How's the morale?" she asked.

"Fairly high, considering where we are. Kit's arrival here really pushed up our spirits. He helped ease the pain of one of our elders," he said, clapping Kit on the back.

"Are they willing to fight?"

"Yes," he told her. "Death doesn't matter as long as we can take out some Vong with us."

"Okay, good. Here's the plan," D'arail explained what the plan was. She would call for help. Before the Vong arrived, Kit would take down the damutek. She had already spoken to the two other camps where operatives were stationed.

"If Colonel Fel doesn't get the message or can't send anyone, we're signing our death certificates. Make sure that is understood," she said. "Odds are good that we won't have any help, but we're going to do as much damage as possible no matter what. There's no reason to wait."

"Myyse and I will help Kit," Tu'Ebb stated.

"Tell as many as you can that a fight is coming. I hate to say this, but if they may as well fight. The Vong will kill anyone who they think is associated with the attack," D'arial stated.

"We're ready," Tu'Ebb stated.

"I hope so. Come back in two hours for the weapons," she said. With that, she turned and moved down the tunnel.

Tu'Ebb grinned at Kit, "Come on, the scarheads are waiting."

Kit chuckled as he followed Tu'Ebb out of the tunnel. His days were numbered, yet he felt surprisingly happy. At least his death would be worth it.

He couldn't wait.

"Colonel Fel?"

Jag looked up from the table he was standing behind. He had just finished handing out the team assignments. Everyone was leaving the room, except Britna. She was standing in front of the table, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

"What can I do for you, Britna?" he asked.

"Thank you for giving me an opportunity to help," she said, and then asked, "Can I run something by you?"

"Of course," Jag responded, gesturing for her to continue.

"The orders say my main job is to relate to the slaves. Aside from being rescued, what do captives want more than anything?" she began. "Information. Do we have any information on the slave demographics?"

"From what Intelligence has discovered, most came from the Outer Rim," Jag told her. He dug out a datacard from a stack on the table and inserted it into a datapad. He scrolled through the information until he found something that would help her. "Based on an apprehended Peace Brigade slaver, a significant portion came from Bakura."

"The Empire took that back, didn't it?" Britna asked.

"Yes," Jag responded. The Empire had come to Bakura's aid several years ago. The Alliance had been unable to help them. Bakura's older generation was happy to see the Empire's return.

"I'll try to find some local news, then, and some from the surrounding regions," she said and then turned to leave.

"Good idea, Britna," Jag called after her.

"Thank you," she said and slipped out the door. Jag gathered the rest of the items on the table and slipped them into a bag. Britna's idea impressed him. He and his fellow captives had been desperate for any kind of news about their home worlds. If their information was correct, Britna's knowledge about Bakura would increase their morale.

Jag checked his wrist chrono. The briefing ended earlier than planned. After he had gotten the final approval on the team list, he had called everyone together to hand out the assignments. He had sent off the team lists to Telma. She hadn't let him know if she had enough supplies to outfit everyone. The next step was to find enough shuttles and have them prepared. He knew of at least three that were ready. He wanted to send out the Kalee group first. It had been marked as a priority. He wished his could say his fondness for the planet had nothing to do with it, but he would be lying.

He and Jaina had been married three months after he proposed on the bridge of his father's Star Destroyer _Steadfast. _Luke had conducted the ceremony. An hour later, the Vong attacked.

Jag left the room and walked home. He would look for shuttles in the morning before he met with Wedge. He had to meet with each team individually over the next two days to give them a more concentrated briefing that focused on the planet itself.

Jag entered the apartment. He could hear Jaina and the children in their room. He set down his bag and went in to see them. They were all sitting on Ani's bed. Davin was reading one of his books aloud. Jaina glanced up and smiled at him.

"Daddy, come here," Ani said. He walked over to the bed and sat down on the end. Ani scrambled over to him to crawl onto his lap. They listened to Davin finish reading his book. He read each word carefully. Jaina helped him pronounce the words he had trouble with.

"Good job, Davin," Jaina said as he finished the book. "Now time for bed, you two."

Davin slid off the bed. He looked at Jag, "I read it all."

"Yes, you did," he said. He and Jaina then tucked the children into bed and left the room.

"Did everything go okay?" Jaina asked as she sat down on the couch.

"Everyone has their assignments," he said sitting down next to her. She leaned her head against his shoulder and then threaded her fingers through his. "What about you?"

"Kyp came by. We've rearranged the shield trios some. It should improve our overall performance. Gavin agreed to a match up tomorrow to help us try it out," Jaina explained. "I'd like to recruit a couple of Jedi to utilize the shadows bombs more often."

"Anyone in mind?"

Jaina shrugged, "I'd like Lowie and Zekk."

Jag's response was cut off by the beeping of the comm unit. As he stood up from the couch, the door chime rang.

Jaina stood up, shaking her head. "Always at the same time."

Jag answered the comm. It was an encrypted message. He recognized it from the second Barab I team. Each team had been given a code should they have the ability to send a message. He typed in the decrypting code. A text message appeared on the screen. The second team had managed to land the shuttle in a cave undetected. They reported that the slaves had created an inter-camp communications network. The slaves were already sabotaging the Vong in little ways. The materials Kit and the others had brought only increased their efforts. The shuttle had detonators, blasters and other weapons. The odds of a shuttle surviving were slim, but it was important to be prepared. They were requesting more help because they thought they could take over the slave outposts, thus freeing the planet. A copy was sent to the military command.

Jag sat back into a chair in disbelief. D'arial had enough military experience to know how to properly analyze a situation. She had attached a report describing the probabilities of success and other factors. This situation was better than he could hope. Based on what D'arial said, they had the numbers to overtake the settlements.

"Jag?" Jaina's voice called, jarring him out of his reverie. He turned to face her. She was standing near him with his father.

"Oh, hello Father," he greeted.

"I take it you've heard from the Barab I team," Soontir said.

Jag didn't even blink. He wasn't remotely surprised his father had seen the message. "That's correct."

Jaina slipped behind Jag and began to read the message. He asked his father, "What do you think?"

"I'm willing to send support. According to our scouts, the number of Vong in that sector is fairly low. We could take the planet back," Soontir stated. "We_ are_ funding half of your operation. The Chiss have every right to be the ones to respond. The Galactic Alliance can't afford it as is."

"And it would fall under Chiss control," Jag pointed out.

"Under the charter, it's under our jurisdiction until the end of war. At that point, the galactic borders will be hammered out," his father countered.

"The Barabels won't like that," Jaina said.

"No doubt there," Soontir said. "You need to be there."

Jag glanced at Jaina, but her face was blank. Her eyes shifted from Jag to his father while she waiting to hear his answer. "In the air?" he finally asked.

"Take temporary command of the Spike Squadron," Soontir instruction.

Jag suppressed a grin. It had been years since he'd held that title or taken complete command of a squadron. He knew he had to do this. It had been his hope all along that something like this would happen. He and his fellow captives had always hoped to overtake their Vong slavers. "When do we leave?"

"Two days. Send out the rest of your teams first," he said, and then asked, "The children are asleep, I assume?"

"Yes," Jag said.

A sly grin appeared on Jaina's face, "No they aren't. They know you are here, Soontir."

Jag shook his head, chuckling, "Go in and see them."

After his father had disappeared into the children's room, Jag turned to Jaina. He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand for him to stop. Instead, she said, "Just promise me you'll come back alive."

He took her in her arms and said, "I promise."

"Good," she stated, "I'd hate to have to fly all the way out there and rescue you."

Loud laughter wafted through the open door of children's room. Jaina glanced up at him, "We better go rescue your father."

"We probably should. No doubt Davin and Ani have talked him into taking them somewhere."

"If his troops could see him now: the great Baron Fel taken down by two young children." Jaina chuckled.

Jag had to agree. His father was powerless against his grandchildren.


	29. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Chapter 27**

Kit crouched behind the rear support of the damutek. It was just after dawn. Most of the slaves and guards were sleeping. He had spent the past several days working with the slave leaders to sabotage the Vong. He had heard from D'arial that she had sent a message out to the military and Colonel Fel asking for help.

The rear support of the damutek was weakening quickly. One good shot would collapse it. If they knocked out at least two of the supports, the entire structure should fall on top of the Vong sleeping inside. Had Kit been fighting any other being, he would have seen it as a cheap shot, but the Vong were something different. In his minds, slavers got what they deserved.

"Are you ready?" Tu'Ebb asked. He handed him one of the pocket blasters D'arial had supplied them with. Myyse held a slightly larger model that fit his hand more comfortably.

"Shoot on three," Kit instructed. He watched as Tu'Ebb and Myyse crept to their assigned supports. He motioned for them to start the count. On three, they shot and then rolled away. They ran to one of the closest tunnel entrances and rolled inside. The three crouched, squished together. They watched the damaged supports spasm and collapse. Dozens of Yuuzhan Vong ran to the collapsed structures. Kit knew they would have heard the blaster shots.

Several of the Vong began to scour the area for them. Myyse growled menacingly, biceps twitching in anticipation. Kit gripped his blaster tightly as the Vong warriors walked closer to their hiding place. The three knew they would probably die, but had made peace with it. At least they had taken out a significant group of the opposition.

Kit peeked out of the tunnel. He heard the sound of approaching engines. A squadron of Clawcrafts appeared, blasting apart the fallen damutek. Kit let out a loud cheer. Their rescue was here.

Jag flipped his father's Clawcraft through space as he avoided the blast of a coralskipper. One frigate and three squadrons' worth of coralskippers were guarding the planet. He had assigned Blue Squadron to back-up the efforts on the planet. After he and his father hammered out the details of the offensive, he had sent a message to D'ariel and the rest of team members to go forward with their sabotage. Soontir had offered Jag the use of his personal Clawcraft for the mission, which Jag was grateful for. The Clawcraft was more maneuverable than an X-Wing.

"Spike Lead, one on your tail," Looriw, Spike Two, called out. The Chiss pilot had extensive experience fighting the Vong in the Outer Rim.

"Acknowledged," he responded. He jerked his ship to the right and pitched forward. His wingmate shot the skip. Jag looped around to assist in overloading the dovin basal. One of their shots, he wasn't sure whose, finally destroyed the resilient craft.

"Thanks," he called out as he flew away from the debris. He glanced down at his computer displays. Off to the right he could see his father's Star Destroyer _The Hailstorm _closing in on the frigate. He diverted one squadron to assist with the frigate. The Vong weren't flying as if they were under the influence of a war coordinator. Yammosks were one more thing the Vong were lacking. The pilots were forced to fly more like the pilots they were fighting. It worked to everyone's advantage.

Sometime later, a voice announced that the frigate had been destroyed. Jag didn't have time to respond. He was in pursuit of one of the more talented Vong pilots. He pressed the triggers to release a shower of stutter fire across the surface of the coralskipper. The dovin basal voids absorbed the shots. His wingmate followed with a torpedo. The two Clawcrafts turned away sharply from the exploding skip. He checked his computer screens. There weren't many coralskippers left.

"What's the situation on the ground?" Jag asked a communications officer on the _Hailstorm_. He was told that the ground troops had successfully taken down settlements Two, Three and Five.

"Colonel Fel, assist Settlement One planet-side," Soontir's voice ordered over the com.

"Acknowledged," Jag responded, and then relayed the new orders. He had lost two pilots; statistically, it was a fairly good number, but it screamed failure and loss to Jag. He would personally write the letter to inform their families of their demise afterwards. He hoped they could be located and weren't some of the billions displaced by the war. That way, more would remember the pilots' sacrifices. He could still remember the men and women who had died under his command when he first lead the Spikes.

The atmosphere of Barab I was fairly turbulent, but the Spikes, reformed for the operation, were able to navigate through it with ease. As they approached the first settlement, Jag looked in awe at the scene in front of him. Black and blue smoke rose from the burning landscape. Unidentifiable dots of debris were scattered about. As he flew lower, he could see slaves fighting Vong with makeshift weapons.

"Target the large structures," Jag stated. "The three rectangular ones on the outer edge are slave quarters. Stay away from those."

A series of clicks sounded over the comm as the rest of the squadron acknowledged the orders. Jag moved his Clawcraft to the right to target the largest damutek. He circled it once to warn the slaves to get back. Several ran away from the structure as Jag shot at it. His lasers melted away the living flesh. Two fighters followed him in, destroying the last of it.

"Four is secure," a voice called over the comm as the second largest damutek fell from what Jag guessed the slaves had done. In the next five minutes, all the structures had fallen. The slaves and Chiss strike teams were still fighting the Vong. The Vong's numbers were rapidly decreasing. Given the time of day the attack had started, most of the Vong were inside the structures. Once the fighting had started, he was sure that some had left, but the initial attack must have depleted their numbers.

Jag cut to his repulsors to land by a hill. The sun was setting; the days only lasted six hours.

Jag exited the cockpit and grabbed a charric. The rest of the squadron had landed behind him. He ordered, "Go help the slaves."

Jag eyed a group to his left. He ran over to them, occasionally ducking to avoid flying thud bugs and coufees. Several of the slaves spared him a glance. A few had blasters supplied by the Chiss. Others used weapons made from tools. Some were using stolen coufees and dead thud bugs and throwing them towards the Vong. All were smeared with thick, black and red blood. Jag moved to the front of the group. They were slowly moving backwards towards a tunnel entrance.

"Scatter!" one of the Chiss commandos yelled. The slaves ran as he lobbed a thermal detonator towards the Vong. It exploded, obliterating a third of the warriors. Jag grimaced as a smoking arm of a Warrior landed next to him. The rest of the Warriors continued press their attack, refusing to give up. The slaves fought with the same fever. One picked up a fallen amphistaff. He swung it clumsily at the Warriors.

Dirt and gravel rained down on them as they fought. A cannon had been set up, mowing down any Vong that crossed its path. A concussion grenade exploded, knocking them all to the ground. Jag grunted upon impact. He threw his arms over the back of his head to protect it from falling rock and body parts.

"Get the slaves to the tunnels!" one of the commandos yelled (take out). Jag pulled himself up and began ushering the slaves towards the tunnels. He instructed those with effective weapons to continue fighting. Those who were unarmed were rushed to the tunnels. Jag took a position about two meters in front of the tunnel opening.

"Colonel Fel," D'arial said, breathing heavily as she appeared next to him.

"Where did you come from?" Jag asked in surprise.

"I'm everywhere on this Sith-spawned planet," she said cockily. She shot a Vong Shaper Adept with her blaster. "This is the last settlement to fall. All the Vong are converging here."

"We need to get the slaves out of here," Jag stated. He spotted a Warrior running towards him and aimed for the fleshy area under his arm. The Warrior fell, but did not die. Jag let off two more shots to finish the kill.

D'arial glanced down at the dead body, and then said, "I heard the slaves at the other encampments are being evacuated."

"We're going to have to kill them all," Jag ground out as he gestured to the Vong. He and D'arial ducked as a thud bug smacked the stone wall behind them. "Unless we can get the Shapers to surrender."

"Unlikely," D'arial commented, "Your Chiss buddies aren't going to let that happen."

"Probably not," Jag grunted. He removed a power pack from his charric and replaced it with a fresh one. "If we let them do it their way, we'll be here for the next three days and more people will die."

"Any ideas?"

Jag looked around at his surroundings. The ground was littered with the bodies of dead slaves, Chiss and Vong. "Not all the Vong left the other encampments."

"Some were taken captive," she responded. "Clean-up was still going on when I left Two."

"So this is the lucky spot."

"Seems to be."

A loud explosion rocked the landscape. Jag and D'arial shielded their eyes from the light. D'arial gave Jag a smirk, "There goes the last of the Vong's transports. Looks like all those left are stuck on the planet."

Jag's comlink beeped. He snatched it off his belt and answered it, "Fel."

"Colonel, we're bringing down a shuttle near your signal to evacuate the slaves. Another group is coming down to deal with the Vong," Commander Di'Lirk ordered.

Jag acknowledged the orders. He turned to D'arial, "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, sounds like surrender isn't an option for them," she responded.

"If they lay down their weapons, maybe," Jag mused. He hated the Vong; there was no doubt about that, but he didn't believe in complete annihilation. If the Vong were willing to surrender, he believed they should be taken into custody. He looked up towards the sky to see two large vessels approaching. One had large guns mounted to it; the other was an armored transport.

"Cover me," Jag requested. He ducked and ran back down to the tunnel entrance. He told the slaves, "A transport is landing to take you out of here."

D'arial appeared next to him with several slaves. She gestured to them and said, "They'll provide cover for the unarmed."

Jag nodded, "Okay." He glanced back out of the tunnel. The shuttle had set down and other soldiers were loading slaves. He quickly arranged the armed and unarmed slaves and then shouted, "Go!"

D'arial led the slaves from the tunnel and to the shuttle. One of the slaves fell when a thud bug collided with his head. Two other slaves picked him up and dragged him to the shuttle; no one had time to check if he had survived. Jag followed from behind.

"Get aboard," he instructed D'arial after he helped an injured slave aboard the transport. He could see most of the others inside.

"No," she shook her head. "Not until everyone is aboard."

"Come on, D'arial!" Kit's voice yelled from inside the shuttle. He appeared in the hatchway and stretched out his hand to help her aboard.

"D'arial!" Kit screamed as a thud bug hit the back of her neck. Its legs cut into her throat. Blood trickled down her neck, staining her shirt. Her eyes rolled back as she gasped for air and collapsed. Jag turned to find her attacker, but he had disappeared. Jag caught D'arial as she lost her footing. Kit helped him load her body into the shuttle. Jag laid her body on the deck. Kit pried the thud bug from her neck as Jag checked her pulse. It was slowing quickly.

One of the slaves shoved a medkit into Jag's hands, but was too late. There was nothing he could do.

D'arial was dead.


	30. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Chapter Twenty-eight**

Ben ran through the hallways of the more child-friendly areas of the _Errant Venture_ with Luke on his heels. Mara watched in amusement as Luke caught up to their son and picked him up. Ben protested, claiming he was too big to be held. Luke set him back on the floor. They were heading to the one of the many restaurants on the Star Destroyer. Luke and Mara had told Ben they would take him out to dinner. Ben had spent the entire day trying to decide what to order.

"Mom, Dad said I can eat whatever I want," Ben exclaimed when Mara caught up to the two of them. Mara shot Luke a look, which caused him to give her a sheepish smile. Mara smiled at Ben, "Within reason."

"Fine," Ben sighed, but he was still in high spirits. He pushed open the galley-style door to a low-key family style restaurant. Mara was surprised to see such a place on Booster's ship. They found a booth in the back where Mara could see the door. A server droid came to the table and took their drink orders. Ben snatched the menu and began scanning it.

"Mom, can I order off the adult menu?" he asked.

"I suppose so," Mara answered. Ben grinned in excitement.

When the server returned, Ben had finally decided on a poultry dish from Chandrilla, upon Mara's recommendation. Mara ordered a pasta entrée from Mon Calamari and Luke choose something from Tatooine.

"Dad, are you eating a Bantha?" Ben asked after the server left.

Mara smirked at Luke, who gave Ben a look of surprise and amusement, "No, son. I'm not eating a Bantha."

"But you've eaten Bantha before."

"Well, yes," Luke responded.

"Did you ever hunt one?" Ben asked. Mara started laughing. She saw a mischievous gleam in Ben's eye, one she knew she had used from time to time.

"Uh, no son, I never hunted a Bantha," Luke answered. He turned to Mara, "I'm glad you think this is funny."

Mara chuckled, "Ben, quit asking your father if he's eaten, killed, chased or raced a Bantha."

"Okay, Mom," Ben responded. Mara listened quietly as he began to tell her and Luke what Han had shown him on the _Falcon._

The server approached ten minutes later with their food. Not even a minute after Luke had taken his first bite, Ben asked, "Hey dad, have you ever eaten a Krayt Dragon?"

Telma dropped a bag of plastic canisters unceremoniously on the lab table. Three of the containers fell out and rolled onto the floor. Telma growled in annoyance as she picked them up. She was exhausted. She had two more batches to make for Jag's teams. She'd been working non-stop for a week. Before that, she'd only had a break when she stumbled home to her small quarters.

Danni bound into the lab with her usual exuberance. She'd been assigned a new project; at the moment Telma was too tired to remember what it was. Telma plopped down onto a stool and glanced down at her shirt sleeve. It was stained with something, probably from one of the beakers she'd knocked over earlier in the day.

"Telma, you look awful," Danni stated. "Go get some sleep."

"I need to get this done," Telma said.

Danni gave her an exasperated look, "No one said you had to finish all that tonight."

If Telma had the ability to, she would have rolled her eyes. "I'm almost done."

Danni shook her head, "No, get out of here. I'm technically in charge here."

"Are you kicking me out?"

"Yes, you can't use any of our equipment until 0900 tomorrow," Danni ordered with a mischievous grin.

"You know, this is a double standard," Telma remarked as she pushed her away from the table.

Danni shrugged, "I know. Next time I go nuts, you can yell at me."

"Oh I will," Telma promised. She scooped her canisters into a storage crate and set it against the wall by the table. "Thanks, Danni."

Telma slipped out of the lab. She knew she didn't need to spend every waking hour in the lab or working, but she had nothing else to do. When she went back to her quarters, she was reminded of how alone she really was. She had tried to locate her niece with the limited resources available to her, but there was no response. She hadn't expected one, but it still hurt.

Telma paused as she heard chattering up ahead. She smiled when she saw Jag's daughter turn the corner. She was holding her mother's hand. Her brother was walking slightly behind them.

"Hey, Mommy, that's Daddy's friend," Davin said. Telma stood off to the side to let them pass, but Jaina stopped before passing her.

"Hello, Telma," Jaina greeted.

"Hello."

"We're going to go eat. What are you doing?" Ani asked.

"Ani, don't be nosy," Jaina said softly.

"It's alright. I'm going back to my apartment," she told the girl. "I'm very tired."

Ani said solemnly, "Oh, okay."

Jaina ushered the children down the hallway. Telma gave them a wave and then continued walking. She wondered how the offensive on Barab I was going. She hoped that the materials she had manufactured were working. She'd tested them to the best of her ability, and Nichos and Stav had reported success on Yavin IV. She had actually refitted Nichos that morning. He was traveling to another planet. She was surprised that he was able to go out and be a slave for the third time.

Telma had also worked with Britna that morning. The young woman was nervous, but ready. Telma always felt that Britna had an untapped reserve of strength and resilience. She merely lacked self-confidence.

Telma's quarters were small; not that she needed anything bigger. There was a table, two chairs, data station, kitchenette, bed and a small refresher unit. Telma didn't have many belongings. Anything she owned she had acquired during her time at the base. Before the war, she owned a richly decorated home with a collection of locally made artwork. She thought it was important to support the arts in her area. It was a crime that the Vong had eradicated so many peoples' culture.

She crawled into her bed, exhaustion increasing. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Tahiri found Jacen standing outside a shuttle in one of the many docking bays aboard the_ Errant Venture_. The _Millennium Falcon _and _Jade Shadow_ were nearby. Jacen was talking to a tech; Tahiri couldn't hear what about. She waited until the tech walked away before she spoke.

"Leaving?" she asked.

Jacen nodded, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Yeah, I'm taking samples of the seeder to Danni. Uncle Luke seems to think I'm the best one for the job, for some reason."

"What about Araneya?" Tahiri asked. She had yet to see the woman, and when she did, she wanted Jacen to be with her. Between the two of them, Tahiri felt they could get her to talk.

"I don't know. Uncle Luke said something about having you talk to her," he answered, clearly annoyed by the situation. "She shouldn't be as hostile now that the implants are gone."

"But she responded to you," Tahiri blurted out.

"I know," Jacen said. "I'm going to try to hurry back."

"Do you think she knows anything important?"

"No," he responded, "But leaving her broken isn't an option. She's worse than all the other former slaves, I heard. The medics were amazed she survived. The coral replaced some of her skeleton."

Tahiri's eyes grew wide with shock. Part of her wanted to wince at how painful that would be. The other part of her was amazed that the coral implants had been able to do that and began to speculate on how it may have happened. Tahiri had often wondered where her Riina-memories came from. They were Shaper-related, and her domain participated in those activities. Before her Shaping she had had no interest in biology or science, but she now she had a minor interest in it.

Jacen glanced over to the _Falcon._ Han was crawling on top of the ship, fixing something. Tahiri wasn't a mechanic and had no idea what he was doing. Jacen chuckled to himself, and then said, "Ben's inside. He's 'helping' Dad."

"Is he actually fixing anything?"

"It's the _Falcon_. He's always fixing something," Jacen responded with an amused look on his face. "Dad would always hook up a comlink and have us read displays for him. Well, Jaina and Anakin more than me."

Jacen glanced down at his wrist chronometer, "I better go say goodbye to Mom, Dad and Ben. I'll see you later Tahiri."

"Goodbye, Jacen," she said. She gave him a quick hug, "Thank you for everything."

Jacen shrugged, "You'd do the same for me."

Attack alarms blared through the Bespin base, waking most of the inhabitants. Jaina rolled out of bed and pulled a flightsuit out of the closet. Her comlink beeped as she was yanking on her boots. She snatched it off the bedside table and switched it on. It was Syal informing Jaina she was on her way over to stay with the children.

Jaina grabbed a hair band from the table. She braided her hair quickly to keep it out of her face. Ani and Davin were standing in their bedroom doorway. Jaina dropped to one knee in front of them and hugged them tightly. She heard Syal enter the apartment as she whispered reassurances to her children. She slipped out of the way to let Syal take them back to bed. She called the command center on her comlink as she ran to the hanger to find out what was going on. Her squadron was to go out first, along with Wes Jansen's Yellow Aces and the Imperial Razor Squadron.

Jaina saw the members of her squadron scramble into their fighters. Jaina climbed into hers quickly and shoved on her helmet. Within minutes, the entire squadron had started up their ships. She flipped the comm to address the pilots, "All right, Dozen, it looks like we have a-"

Jaina's voice was cut off by a priority message from Tycho, "Jaina, it's a Worldship."

Jaina gasped, "A Worldship? I thought all those had died."

"So did we. "

"Get Danni," Jaina stated. "She may be able to tell if it's aged or weakened by the sensors."

"Until we find out, concentrate on defending the base. We don't know what they want," Tycho ordered and clicked off the channel. Jaina relayed the orders to the rest of the squadron, and then addressed Kyp privately.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"Hanging back makes no sense. I doubt the Worldship stumbled upon the base. The Vong know we're here," Kyp responded.

Jaina didn't answer him for a moment. They were outside the planet's atmosphere by this point and had created somewhat of a perimeter. After the other squadrons, save the reserve, were launched, the base would be moved. The sensors around the rest of the gas giant hadn't detected anything. Her own sensors indicated a group of coralskippers were coming towards them.

Jaina wished for probably the millionth time since she was sixteen that she could detect the Vong with the Force. She was often jealous of Jacen and Tahiri's abilities to do so. They couldn't fight effectively until they knew exactly what was going on.

"Flights One and Two with me. The rest of you stay with Durron," she ordered. She switched to a private channel again to speak to Kyp, "I'm going to take a look at that Worldship. Stay here."

Jaina switched off the channel before he could argue. She and the two flights followed her to the Worldship.

"It looks…sick," Trent Whitley said as they approached it. Jaina had to agree. Three of its Outer Ganglia were gone; two others looked limp and rotted. Instead of a healthy green color, the Worldship looked sickly pale. It had large black and brown spots. The surface reminded Jaina of moldy bread. It was in no shape to attack. Her X-Wing's sensors showed a low amount of coralskippers. They looked just as bad as the Worldship.

She called the command center, "Tycho, is Danni there?"

"Hold on," he responded, and then Danni's voice answered, "Yeah, Jaina?"

"It's dying. The Worldship is in awful shape. Even the coralskippers guarding it are unhealthy. Any ideas?" she asked.

"Most of the Worldships were dying when the Vong first invaded. After Shimirra stabilized the World Brain on Yuuzhan'tar, the Worldships were emptied. The Shapers tried to save them, but failed. At least, that was the last I heard," Danni rushed out. "Did you capture any images of the dovin basals?"

Jaina relayed the request to her astromech, who in turn uploaded images. While Danni looked over them, Jaina led the squadron on another pass.

"Several look dead," Danni stated. "It's amazing it was able to travel through hyperspace."

Jaina heard muffled voices on the end. Tycho's voice replaced Danni's a moment later, "The Razors and Aces are coming around to back you up. Defensive actions only."

Jaina passed along the orders. She wondered exactly what was going on. If Danni was right and the dovin basals were dying or dead, then the Worldship wouldn't last long. She wondered how many Vong were aboard it. Jaina hadn't been inside of a Worldship since Myrkr. She had no inclination to see the inside of this one.

"Aces, Dozen and Razors," Tycho's voice called over the command channel. We're in the process of contacting the Worldship. Stand-by for further instructions."

Jaina's eyes narrowed. Something was wrong. "Kyp."

"I sense it too," he said. He had brought the rest of the squadron to her position, which was now halfway between the Worldship and Bespin. "I'm going to check out the far side again."

"Take your wingmates," she suggested. She watched as they peeled away from the group.

Jaina and the rest of the Dozen took the right side. The Razors and the Aces had created a protective line between the Worldship and planet. The alternating pattern of A-Wings and TIE Fighters looked somewhat misplaced.

The feeling of danger and uneasiness grew. Jaina leaned forward to get a better look at the ship. Something was moving on the surface. It looked as if something just under the surface was boiling. The remaining ganglia were quivering. She glanced down at her sensors. Kyp was far on the other side.

The Worldship began to shake and split. Jaina flipped open the comm and ordered urgenty, "Get away from the Worldship. Now."

The Worldship exploded, releasing a shock wave that sent many of the members of the Dozen tumbling through space. The force of the shockwave caused Jaina to knock her head against the console, and she blacked out for a few seconds. When she came to, she straightened her fighter out and searched for the other members of her squadron. Half had survived. At least two had gone EV, others reported. None of them could find Kyp. Jaina reached out with the Force, but couldn't sense him.

Jaina turned on a private line, desperate to find him. "Kyp!"


	31. Chapter Twenty Nine

**Chapter Twenty-nine**

"The Yuuzhan Vong have fallen at Barab I. A small group of special agents infiltrated the slave camps, recruited the aid of other slaves and sabotaged the encampments. The Chiss sent back-up forces to aid the slaves with overtaking the Vong. Analysts say that without the aid by the slaves, the Vong wouldn't have fallen, nor would Barab I even be considered a target," the voice called over the speaker hanging in the waiting room of the medical ward.

Jaina hadn't been paying attention to the news anchor drone on. Despite the war, media companies still pressed on. Many lacked the equipment to produce video, but audio was still available, and easier to broadcast. After the Worldship exploded, Jaina had searched for Kyp's X-Wing. When she had found it, it was missing the foils and the cockpit had a large hole in it. Kyp's flight suit was all that was keeping him alive. He'd been in the bacta tank for three days now. She and the other surviving members of the Dozen took turns waiting for Kyp to be removed from the tank.

Right before the Worldship had exploded, it had sent a message. It was still being decoded, as far as Jaina knew. She heard various theories about why it was in the system. Some said it came there to die by taking out as much of the enemy as possible. Others said it was trying to surrender. The weakened state of the Worldship increased the discussions regarding how thinly stretched the Vong really were.

Jaina had no theories. She knew the Vong were lacking in supplies. At this point, she was more concerned about Jag and Kyp. Jag had sent her a message telling her they had succeeded and he was fine, but she would feel better when she actually saw him

The medics believed they would be able to save Kyp. There was some concern that he would have difficulty waking up.

"Heard anything?"

Jaina turned to face Jacen and took the cup of caf he offered her. He had arrived that morning from Yavin IV. After he had given Danni the seeder samples, he told Jaina everything that had happened. He had offered to sit with her in the waiting room.

"Not yet."

"When are Syal and Myri bringing the kids by?" he asked as he sat down next to her. Davin and Ani were staying with their second cousins that day.

Jaina glanced at the chrono on the wall, "Any time now. They'll be happy to see you, especially with Jag being gone."

"I heard talk that the GA and Empire aren't exactly thrilled that the Chiss backed up Barab I," Jacen commented.

Jaina scoffed, "The politics of the situation make little difference if we don't win. No one has given Jag enough support. This all would have happened much faster if they had."

Jacen tipped his head in agreement. Jaina opened her mouth to speak, but instead jerked up. She could sense the children approaching. Jacen caught on a moment later. She set her cup down on an end table next to her chair.

Syal and Myri entered the waiting room. Ani's eyes grew wide in excitement and broke away from Myri's grasp. She ran over to Jacen and threw her arms around his legs, squealing, "Unca Jacen!"

He pulled her up on his lap. Jaina smiled as she listened to Ani jabber on in excitement. She turned to Syal and Myri, who had walked over to her. Davin sat down next to the table. Jaina asked, "How were they?"

"Good," Myri stated simply. "Mom stopped by with lunch, so they've eaten."

Jaina thanked the girls as they left the waiting room. She felt Davin tap her arm as he said, "Mommy, is Kyp still hurt?"

"He's still in the bacta tank," she said.

"When can he get out?"

"Soon, I hope."

Davin nodded, "He's going to wake up today."

Jaina's brow crinkled in surprise. She hoped Davin was right, but wondered how he would know. It could be just a child's hope, but the conviction in his eyes and voice told her otherwise. Davin was very observant. He tended to see what was going on behind the scenes. He was also very aware of people's emotional, mental and physical state. He wasn't empathetic like Jacen; instead, he used the information more like pieces of a machine or equation. The intensity in which he stated his observations reminded Jaina of Anakin.

"Why was the Worldship here?" Davin asked after a moment. Jaina had managed to keep most of the details of the war from he and Ani's ears, but some were unavoidable. Davin knew how Kyp had been hurt.

"We're not sure," Jaina answered slowly.

"It was sick."

"The Yuuzhan Vong ships can become sick like any other living organism."

"Maybe it was trying to find a new home for the Vong inside," he guessed.

"Maybe," Jaina murmured. She glanced back up at the speaker mounted on the wall. The announcer had moved on from Barab I to an attack on a supply convoy to Sullust. She sat, like millions around the galaxy, waiting in a medward waiting room listening to the news while waiting for a friend.

Jag walked through the fallen camp with his father. The Vong that had been captured, or surrendered, were under the close-guarded watch of the Chiss. The Chiss and freed slaves were in the process of destroying evidence of the Vong's occupation. Jag had not assisted with the deconstruction process, however. The planet hadn't undergone any Shaping; in most areas, it was still habitable. The wildlife and tunnels were only dilapidated where the encampments had been located. Jag was working on the necessary measures to bring the surviving Barabels back to their home planet. He sent a message to the Jedi in the Hapes Cluster to be forwarded to Saba Sebatyne and her Wild Knights. The Chiss government had already begun the necessary reconstruction efforts, but they felt that the native species should assist and eventually take over the process. Jag split his time between helping the planet and aboard his father's Star Destroyer.

The smaller camps had already been destroyed, as well as the structures of the larger camps. Jag adjusted his night vision goggles as he surveyed the areas. Because of the high radiation levels, most of the work was done at night. The Chiss had radiation suits, but the dangers were still present.

"Everything is progressing at an excellent pace," Soontir stated.

"Better than we hoped," Jag agreed.

"The freed slaves will be taken to Nirauan tomorrow morning," Soontir stated. "When will you return?"

Jag frowned as he responded, "I'm not sure. Two Barabel refugee groups contacted me. They will arrive within the next three days. I received a message from Telma stating all the teams have left. I need to leave in the next forty-eight hours."

"Have you heard from Jaina?" he asked.

"Yes, a dying Worldship jumped to Bespin. It exploded, injuring Kyp," Jag explained.

"You're heading back when we are done here, I take it," his father said knowingly.

Jag nodded in confirmation. He would have left that morning, or technically sunset, had his father not asked him to come down to the planet with him.

"Did she say anything else about the Worldship?"

"No," Jag answered. He and his father paused their conversation to step over a fallen chunk of damatek.

"Your success here will push the Galactic Alliance into action," Soontir stated.

"It's hardly my success."

"As the leader of the operation, it becomes your success. If this had failed, it would have been your failure," Soontir countered.

"True," Jag agreed. "Though the Provisional Council has shown little confidence in this whole operation."

"The Worldship may change their minds, or sway them," he said. They continued to their destination: the remains of the main Shaper laboratory.

"Not much is left," Jag observed as they poked through the wreckage.

"Unfortunately," Soontir commented. "Nothing of value."

They worked together to move a piece of the shelter away. Underneath were various busted storage containers. Drawings were on some of the canisters. Jag recognized the outline of a vornskr, the creature from Myrkr that Master Shaper Yal Phaath had created from a voxyn from. The voxyn cloning tissue was long destroyed, and the project abandoned. The image on the canister probably meant nothing; perhaps a note for a Shaper or information about life in this galaxy. It didn't matter.

Jag and Soontir stepped away from the useless pile of debris. Jag lit a flare he had in his utility belt and threw it on the pile. It quickly caught fire, destroying the image and the rubble around it. Jag watched with a slight satisfaction as it burned.

"Daddy!" Ani screeched as she raced toward Jag. He caught her as she reached his legs. She threw her arms around his neck as she planted a messy kiss on his cheek. He couldn't remember such an exuberant greeting from his daughter before. It warmed his heart considerably to see her react in such a way.

"Welcome back, Jag," Jacen called as he walked up to him. "Jaina and Davin are on their way."

"Davin and Mama are in a meeting," Ani told Jag.

Jag raised an eyebrow at Jacen. "A meeting?"

Jacen shrugged, "I have no idea. I've had Ani all afternoon."

"We found Ruggers!"

"Rodents from Endor," Jacen explained before Jag could ask. "A couple found their way onto a refugee ship. I have been collecting them when I'm around."

Jag glanced down at Ani. She seemed excited about the rodents. "Where are you keeping them?"

"Don't worry, none of them are at your place," Jacen said with a laugh. "Jaina would never let me hear the end of it."

Jag's response was cut off by Jaina and Davin entering the hanger. Ani wriggled down from his arms and hurried over to her brother. She grabbed his hand, "Guess what Unca Jacen and me did today?"

"Just a minute, Ani," Davin told her with the patience of an elder sibling. He moved away from her to hug his father.

After releasing Davin, Jag finally turned to Jaina. She grinned as she slid he arms around his waist, "I have some good news for you."

Jag threaded his fingers of his right hand through her hair, cradling the back of her head. He pulled her in to kiss her. She leaned into the kiss, clutching the back of his shirt. She opened her mouth-

"Ew, they're doing it again, Davin. Mama and Daddy are all mushy," Ani giggled, causing Jaina to break the kiss with a laugh.

"Mushy?" Jaina asked as she turned to face Ani.

"Yes, mushy," Ani stated. Jag chuckled and turned Jaina back around, "You said you had good news?"

"Oh, yeah. Wedge told me that everyone was so impressed with the success on Barab I that they want you to push forward. Granted, they aren't happy about the Chiss, at least behind closed doors, but you have the support you needed," she told him. She took his hands in hers. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement. "You can finally make it happen, Jag."

Jag pulled Jaina to him as he looked over at Ani and Davin. She was talking about her adventure with the Rugger. Soon it would end; one way or another.

Tahiri was not an interrogator.

She couldn't get into people's heads. She couldn't pick apart the hidden clues in their answers. Tahiri simply wasn't qualified for the job presented to her.

Araneya was seated at a table. Tahiri sat across from her. It was like a scene out of a holovid, Tahiri thought. Mara had given her a list of questions to ask, along with various techniques to use.

"So, um, Araneya," Tahiri started. "Where are you from originally?"

Araneya shrugged, "I don't remember. It was a place with sand. I think I lived with…my mother."

"Do you remember how you got to Yavin IV?"

"I remember coralskippers landing. I was chased through the streets, trying to find Mother. I was knocked to the ground by a thud bug, I think. I remember shouting and that's it. I woke up on Yavin IV," she responded quietly, and then asked, "What do you want from me? I don't know anything!"

Tahiri took a calming breath. Mara had told her to expect this type of reaction. "We just want to know what you have been through."

"You have no idea."

"Actually, I do," Tahiri said slowly. She tapped the three vertical lines on her forehead. "These scars come from when I was a prisoner on Yavin IV. The Yuuzhan Vong tried to turn me into one of them."

Araneya's eyes grew wide, "You are the One-Who-Was-Shaped!"

Tahiri nodded, "Yes, I am. Can you tell me anything you observed or heard?"

Araneya closed in eyes in what Tahiri hoped was thought. She spoke after a few minutes, "The Shaper I was with talked about how they needed to grow more ships. Many forms of Vong life were dying, and there weren't enough resources to replenish."

"Thank you, Araneya. That's very helpful," she said. Tahiri truly believed that was all the girl knew.

"What are you doing to do with me?"

"It's not up to me, but I don't see why you have to stay," Tahiri said. Araneya started to twist her hair around a finger. The medics had cut the ragged locks into a short bob.

Araneya tilted her head, "Do you want to crush the Vong?"

"I want the killing to stop," Tahiri responded carefully. "I do not support full annihilation."

"Me either," Araneya said. "My old life is gone. Araneya may not even be my real name. Yavin IV is my home. Master Shaper Lom took care of me."

"Were you his familiar?" Tahiri asked. Araneya's response surprised her. She hadn't heard of such a strong reaction before. Of course, Araneya had been implanted more heavily than anyone she had heard of.

"I suppose," she responded. "You killed him. One of you did and now I am completely alone."

Tahiri wondered if what Araneya was experiencing was similar to what some kidnapping victims went through; they would sometimes fall in love or care for their kidnapper. "We will find you a place to go."

"No you won't," Araneya stated. "You can't find a home for every suffering person. I know the test. I'm clinically crazy. I don't remember much of anything. I want to go back to my Vong masters. I'm not even sure that I'm even sitting here talking to you."

Tahiri picked up the file on Araneya. She hadn't read it before she spoke to her. She didn't think the medical records would matter. She opened the file. Araneya was under psychological medication. The report listed delusions, psychotic episodes, memory loss and self-mutilation.

"Am I a prisoner?" she asked.

"No, at least, I don't think so."

"Anything else?"

"No," Tahiri responded. She stood up and gathered her supplies. Before she walked out the door, she glanced back at Araneya. She was staring blankly at the wall, tapping her fingers rapidly on the table. Araneya look at Tahiri blankly, "Who are you?"

Tahiri shook her head sadly as she left the room. She felt for the woman. Her brain had been permanently altered by Shapers. Tahiri vowed that she would help Araneya adjust, somehow. She didn't want her to suffer as she had.


	32. Chapter Thirty

**Chapter Thirty**

Danni placed her datapad of notes on the conference room table. After the explosion of the Worldship, Danni had been ordered to analyze various pieces of Vong biolife from different planets to check for similarities in structure. It was common knowledge that the Vong were lacking in materials. The Worldship incident only pushed the issue forward. The whispers that the Alliance, Empire and Chiss should take advantage of it had grown to shouts.

In addition to Wedge, Iella and Jag, Colonel Io Klar of the Empire and Colonel Airer'th from the Chiss were present. Danni gestured to the numbers on the screen behind her as she spoke, "Eighty-seven percent of the samples show signs of weakness. The causes range from age to poor nutrition. The coralskippers and other creations cannot grow properly if they do not receive the correct care. Items such as villips and yammosks require a specific regiment, while simpler life forms like blorash jelly need less care. According to the information gathered from various Shaper complex raids and what Jedi Tahiri Veila has told us, many-Vong created life forms can withstand some variation to their care under the careful watch of a Shaper. This leads to the theory that the number of Shapers is also low. We learned earlier in the war that Warmaster Tsavong Lah had ordered for more Warrior breeding. We don't know for sure, but data indicates that some of the would-be Shapers were transferred out of the class. Death of many members of the class is also possible."

"Does your data show an area of the galaxy where the Vong biolife is healthier?" Iella asked as she leaned forward.

"Various coralskippers hailing from Coruscant and other planets closer to the Core are more viable. The World Brain on Coruscant, however, has caused problems with the some of the material grown there," Danni responded. She keyed up an image comparison of a healthy coralskipper and an unhealthy from Coruscant She pointed out the various structural defects and dying areas.

"Based on the information Ms. Quee has provided us with, we'd like to send back up for Colonel Fel's teams with instructions to press forward right away," Wedge stated. He had seen the report before the meeting and discussed the details with several members of the military and intelligence divisions. "The end result will be a dramatic loss in materials."

"How do you intend to extract the team members?" Colonel Klar asked. "The Empire can't afford to send out troops for rescue missions."

"Colonel Fel has already made the proper arrangements," Wedge responded without elaboration, "In addition; the Chiss have volunteered some of their forces."

"General Fel has offered his fleet," Colonel Airer'th confirmed.

"Aside from the loss of material, what is the purpose of this?" Klar asked with an air of slight arrogance that came from fast promotions and little actual training.

"It provides a viable solution for weakening the Vong at a minimal loss of life and supplies," Jag said simply. "By infiltrating the slave camps, we can do damage on the inside. The fact that the Vong's materials are weakening only benefits us. Is the war going to end on one of these planets? No, but it will increase the chance that we will beat back the Yuuzhan Vong."

"The Empire doesn't-"

"I know for a fact that Gilad Pellaeon fully supports this operation," Iella stated. Danni glanced between her and the Imperial colonel. Iella gave the man a hard look. Danni would have chuckled at the way he avoided her gaze had it been permissible.

"Ms. Quee will forward her report to both the Empire and Chiss," Wedge stated. "Unless there are any questions for her, you are all dismissed. "

Danni shut down the projector she was using and gathered her materials. She hadn't been invited to the first portion of the meeting, not that it mattered to her. Earlier that day she had filed her report about Csilla. She was grateful that project was done. She slipped all of her supplies in her shoulder bag and left the room. She, for once, had a free hour. An hour wasn't enough time for her to work on anything before she was meeting Jacen. He had told her yesterday about the woman he had found on Yavin IV. He wanted to know if she had any information that could help her recovery. Danni hadn't found much, but she wanted to speak with him about it anyway. She was looking forward to meeting with someone not associated with the military.

It was a welcomed break.

Jaina glanced over at Jag from across the table. He was staring at his datapad with a look a frustration. He'd been that way for half an hour. It was, quite frankly, annoying. She couldn't concentrate with stress radiating off him.

"Jag, what's the problem?" she asked, placing the squadron report she was working on down.

He frowned, "I need people crazy enough to land in areas crawling with Vong to rescue team members."

"With their own ships."

"Yes."

Jaina tapped her fingers on the table as an idea popped into her mind. She suggested, "Hire some smugglers."

"Hire them?" he said with skeptical look.

"Call Dad and ask him to call in some favors," Jaina suggested. The Smuggler's Alliance was the perfect solution. Because they weren't technically politically aligned with anyone, it would be a completely neutral party. "Lando and Karrde would know people that could help."

"They're certainly crazy enough," Jag commented. "It'd get Colonel Klar off my back."

"They'll do it," Jaina stated. "I'll go call Lando. I'm sure I can convince him to help."

"Thank you, Jaina," he said with appreciation, and then asked, "Did you get a hold of Luke?"

"Mhm," Jaina said. She had spoken to him that morning about adding Jedi to her squadron. Tycho told her that she could recruit whoever she wanted to fill the missing slots in the Dozen. "Zekk and Lowie are eager to help. They should be here tomorrow. Kyp may be healing quickly, but he's not allowed in the cockpit for another week."

Kyp had woken up a couple days ago. His burns and internal injuries were almost healed. He was already driving the medical staff crazy. They were going to release him last night, but Jaina had requested that he stay another day. She knew he would try too hard too soon and result in reinjuring himself. She'd threatened to pull rank on him as squadron leader, and then he'd pointed out he was a Jedi Master. The argument continued until one of the doctors intervened. Jaina guessed that he had been sick of hearing the argument. Had he left them alone, she knew she would have won. She had almost worn Kyp down.

Jaina stood up from the table. She walked past Jag and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'll find that number."

He gave her a grateful smile as she walked off. Jaina sat down in front of the comm unit and found Lando's codes. Jag appeared behind her just as Lando answered, dressed in a dark blue long sleeved shirt and hair neatly trimmed. No war was going to keep him from looking his best. His appearance provided a bit of welcomed normalcy. He looked surprised to see her. "Jaina! You look radiant. Good to see you, Jag."

Jaina shook her head in amusement. Lando would never change. "Hello to you, too, Lando. I need a favor, well Jag does."

"And what is that?"

Jag explained the situation in as few words possible. He didn't want to disclose any of the locations in case someone was listening. Lando made few comments, only asking how many ships they would need and how soon.

"So will you do it?" Jaina asked after Jag finished speaking.

Lando flashed her a toothy grin, "I'll call in a few favors."

"Thank you," Jag said gratefully.

"I'll get back with you by the end of the day," Lando said and terminated the call.

Jaina turned in her chair to face Jag. "All taken care of, but don't ask me to deal with them. You'll have to find a way to keep them in line yourself."

Luke surveyed the area where the Jedi Temple once stood. Jagged rocks sat in a rough square. The damuteks and other Vong biolife had eaten away at the stones. It was impressive, really, how the Vong had managed to crush the Grand Temple. That something so old and strong could be destroyed that way tore at Luke's inner being. It destroyed a part of him. He had long ago learned that he couldn't put too much feeling into items and places, but Yavin IV had always held a special place in his heart. It had been his first home after Tatootine. He had founded a Jedi school there to keep the Jedi alive. The Temple suffered damage before, but was repaired. Luke wanted to rebuild it. Yavin IV was so full of life and the Force; it was a perfect world for Jedi. It was an example of redemption. Once, thousands of years ago, the Sith had a powerful presence there. Instead of being a place of the dark, Luke and the Jedi had redeemed the moon. To abandon it felt almost like a betrayal.

Unfortunately, it was going to have to wait. Despite aid from Tenel Ka, to rebuild the Temple was irresponsible. If the Yuuzhan Vong won, there would be no need for a new establishment. The galaxy would be stuck in an era of darkness that saw no hope or escape. Luke did not regret the decision to liberate the moon. Not only had they gained back the system, but also the destruction of a Shaper compound cost the Vong important research and resources. In addition, Jacen and Tahiri had destroyed the seeder, something created from ancient Vong stories.

Luke felt Mara enter the room. She slid an arm around his waist as she followed his gaze to the rocky terrain. She commented after a moment, "Han and Leia are on their way to Bespin."

Luke didn't respond. He didn't need to. Han and Leia had decided that because both of their surviving children, and their grandchildren, were at the GA base, it made sense for them to be there, too. That is, until they were given an assignment or stumbled into a mess as they usually did. Ben was staying with his parents. Mara and Luke were leaving Yavin IV to go to the Hapes Cluster. From there, he would assign the Jedi present where they needed to go. Luke had considered contacting Wedge for information.

The freed captives had been sent to the Bespin base to recover. Only Araneya remained, at Tahiri's request. She argued that she felt she could reach Araneya better than doctors or psychologists could. Besides, finding someone to take on the long-term mental care of a woman with nothing would be next to impossible. Luke consented to allowing Araneya to accompany the Jedi to Hapes. He had been pleasantly surprised by Tahiri's ability to help the woman.

"Booster said something's brewing," Mara said quietly. The _Errant Venture_ was still in orbit, waiting until the last of the Jedi left before traveling to parts unknown. Booster, despite his protests that he didn't work for anyone, tended to appear when needed.

"Did he give any details?"

"Not really, just that Lando roped him into some scheme," she explained. "Karrde and other members of the Smuggler's Alliance are going to be there."

Something significant must be going on for the entire Smuggler's Alliance to come to Lando's call. "Where is Booster heading?"

"He didn't say," Mara said with annoyance. "He's anxious for us to get out of here, though."

"Everyone has reported in. We'll be ready to leave in twenty minutes," Luke said. "Lowbacca and Zekk have already left for Bespin."

"Have you heard from anyone else?"

"Kyle is still helping with the skirmishes on the Outer Rim. It looks like the Vong are losing their hold on some of the planets out there. His last message stated that several planets would fall with some backing. Saba and the Wild Knights returned from Mon Calamari, but are heading out tomorrow to investigate the increased Peace Brigade activity around Duro," Luke began. He was cut off, however, by the arrival of Valin. He had just returned that morning from Yavin VIII.

"Hello, Valin. Did Sannah's changing go smoothly?" Luke asked. Valin had requested to stay and help guard Sannah during her transformation. She had been able to stall the process (for how long?), with the help of the other Jedi, but eventually her biological needs took over.

"Yes," he nodded, somewhat sadly. He and Sannah had been close friends throughout the years.

"Saying goodbye to a friend is never easy," Luke told the boy as he rested a hand on his shoulder. "We're leaving soon. Is your X-Wing loaded into the _Shadow_?"

"Yes, Master," Valin stated and turned to board the ship.

Luke called out after him, "Valin, go ahead and call your grandfather. I'll never hear the end of it if you don't tell him goodbye."

Valin nodded and darted up the ramp. Mara shook her head next to Luke, "What about Mirax?"

"I'm convinced she encourages her father to harass me for her," Luke stated. "She'll be up there, I'm sure."

"Speaking of the Horns, isn't it time for Jysella to find a master?" Mara asked, already knowing the answer. They had had this discussion before. There simply weren't enough Jedi available.

"Yes, along with many others," Luke replied. "I was thinking about nudging Octa in her direction."

Mara mulled over the suggestion for a few moments before responding, "It would work. She can take Jysella on her assignment to Bimmiel."

The _Shadow's_ engines started up. Mara turned to glare at Luke, "What does he think he is doing? How many times have we told him not to touch the controls of my ship!"

"Around four less times than you told Jaina," Luke commented as he walked towards the ship. He chuckled as Mara sputtered as she stormed past him. He would sit back and let Mara handle this one. One day, Valin would learn, the hard way, not to cross Mara Jade.


	33. Chapter Thirty one

**Chapter Thirty-one**

The large conference room was remodeled to look more like a high-class hall. Rich, plush, wine-red carpet covered the floor. Four small wooden tables lined either side of the room. Each table was set with a cream-colored table runner and two gold candlesticks, each with a candle that matched the carpet. Various beings were socializing around the room. After the Smuggler's Alliance had agreed to help Jag, Booster had appeared with the _Errant Venture_. They were still in the Bespin system.

Jaina leaned against the back wall, arms crossed over her chest. Booster, being Booster, invited everyone on the base to come relax and spend credits. Wedge himself had boarded the red Star Destroyer to visit with Booster. He'd brought along Syal and Myri, who were currently racing around one of the more kid-friendly areas Booster had installed after the birth of Valin. Davin and Ani were with them. That night, Ani and Davin would return to the base with their grandmother Syal.

Jaina had volunteered the Dozen to help back at the base. Four TIE Squadrons had shown up that morning with orders directly from Pellaeon to give their support. The rest of the firepower was coming from the Chiss. Jag's teams of three had left two days ago. Each member had a hidden communication device to use to send a signal. The signal would alert the extraction teams to jump to the system. Vessels piloted by the smugglers were charged with picking up the actual team, and all the slaves they could fit. The Chiss were going to commence the mop-up, as they had on Barab I. Several soldiers from the base were allowed an hour or two of leave aboard the _Errant Venture. _Booster had closed off some of his vast mobile resort, but left enough parts open to offer some entertainment. For many, the opportunity to simply leave the base was welcome.

At least, that was the original arrangement. Once Colonel Klar sent word to the Empire, several Moffs sent aid. They weren't about to risk the Chiss taking over any of the planets they helped liberate. When the Galactic Alliance Ruling Council heard about it, they ordered the Third Fleet to help. For once, the political bickering had worked to their advantage.

"Enjoying yourself, Jaina?" Lando asked, appearing next to her. He was holding a tall, thin glass halfway full of bright green liquid. She could see a couple pieces of yellow fruit on a pink plastic skewer floating inside.

"I suppose so," she said. She had accompanied the rest of her family aboard the Star Destroyer. Jag was meeting with the rest of the smugglers.

"Where are the kids?" he asked. He plucked a glass off a tray and shoved it into her hands.

"With Wedge's children," she responded. She eyed the dark colored liquid in the glass.

"Relax," Lando said with a laugh, "That's the good stuff."

Jaina smirked, "From?"

"Corellia. Pre-war," Lando said with a wink. "Don't tell Booster."

Jaina chuckled as she lifted the glass to her lips. She paused when she sensed Jag enter the room. He found her easily enough.

"Everything in order?" Lando asked as the younger man approached.

Jag nodded firmly. "Yes."

"Excellent," Lando stated. "I see Tendra over there. You two have a good afternoon."

Jaina and Jag said goodbye as Lando slipped back through the crowd. Jag slipped an arm around her waist as he asked, "Are you ready to pick up the kids?"

She nodded, "I sent the last of my pilots to get some sleep fifteen minutes ago."

"We're bumping up departure time an hour," Jag told her apologetically. "The Chandrilla team sent their first signal."

"Oh, good," Jaina responded. "Did Telma do something to the poisons to make them work faster?

"She and Danni have been improving them constantly," Jag stated. "This wouldn't be possible without them."

Jaina set her now-empty glass on the closest server droid's tray. She took Jag's hand as they walked out of the room. They weaved through the gradually thinning crowd. They would have about two hours with their children before Ani and Davin left with Wedge and the rest of their family. Afterwards, all the ships would travel to their various rendezvous points. Jaina and the Dozen were going to Chandrilla. Jag was flying lead for the Spikes again, also at Chandrilla. Soontir had specially requested to work with that planet. Neither Jag nor Jaina had returned to the system since he'd been taken years ago. They would wait just outside the system until the signal came through.

Jaina paused in front of the door leading to the children's area. Within the next seventy-two hours, everything would change. Either way, they were in this together. Jag gave her a quizzical look as he asked, "Are you okay?"

Jaina slung her arms around his neck and whispered, "Just fine."

Britna sat cross-legged on a spongy growth inside of a slave hut on Kalee. Four people from Bakura were sitting with her. During her time on the planet, she had spent her time updating the many captives about what was going on in the galaxy. As she had predicted the slaves had accepted her information more readily because she had taken the time to inform them about their homeworld.

"Britna," a young man named Tyi said as he ducked into the room, "There's some new people here saying they know you."

Britna excused herself and followed him out of the hut. She wondered if it was the back-up group. She hoped so. The damuteks and other structures she and the other tampered with were ready to fall. She was no scientist, but she suspected that they would fall within the next couple of days.

Tyi led Britna throw the huts and into the dining structure. The slaves had built tables and low benches to sit at instead of using grown furniture. The Vong hadn't protested because the slaves had used natural materials, saving the Vong their own. Tyi pointed to three beings sitting at the center table.

"Ah, Britna!" the woman greeted as she gestured for Britna to sit down. The Vong guarding the room, two Warriors with few tattoos and no visible implants, paid little attention to the group. They were used to the slaves gathering. As long as they weren't doing anything suspicious, the slaves were left alone.

"Hello," the human male of the group greeted. His black hair was slicked back out of his face. A thin mustache sat over his lip. He looked like a card player from an old-style holodrama. She didn't recognize him, but she did recognize the third member of the group. The small Chadra-Fan Kei greeted her. Britna had met her at the refugee camp. She sat down and told them the situation. They had lost one member of their team, but everyone else was fine. The toxins were working well. Kei, in turn, told her what was going on; the other members of the first team had told her what had happened since their arrival.

Britna dropped her voice to a whisper, "Just look like you are working around the structures." Britna reached down to the dirt floor and scooped up some stones. She dropped them on the table and arranged them to look roughly like the camp. She pointed out which buildings needed toxins. She swiped the gravel off the table before any of the guards noticed what she was doing.

"Meleyanne, send the signal," Kei instructed in a low voice. Each member left the table slowly to look as if nothing was going on. Meleyanne, the woman, left first. Britna followed, slipping back towards the huts. She needed to prepare the slaves. Everything was in motion; it was live or die now.

The only sounds in the room came from the rumbling engines of Soontir Fel's Star Destroyer as it hurtled through hyperspace. Jaina lay on the bunk with her cheek pressed against Jag's chest. Normally, the sound and vibrations from the engines would have lulled her to sleep, but tonight they couldn't calm her thoughts. Jag's arm tightened around her briefly as he slept. She had been exhausted hours ago, but her racing mind was determined to keep her awake.

Zekk and Lowie had trained with the squadron that afternoon. Jaina was confident that they would work well with the rest of the Dozen. The addition of two Jedi bolstered her confidence in their success. Neither one could replace Kyp, who was irate that he'd been ordered to sit out, but they were the next best people to have.

Jaina had fought to be sent to Chandrilla. They had wanted to send her to one of the other systems. She had argued that Chandrilla was an important cultural area as well as a morale boost. She played up the idea that with three Jedi in the squadron it would be successful. Of course, that wasn't true, but she was willing to let them believe it this time. She needed to be there because Jag was going to be there. There was no way she was going to let him return to that planet alone. She buried her face in his side. She had to get some sleep. The next "day" they would be a micro-jump away from Chandrilla, ready for the call.

"Jaina?" Jag murmured groggily.

"Go back to sleep," she said.

"Are you alright?" he asked twisting to face her. He stroked her cheek with the back of his finger.

"Just thinking," she said with a small smile. He flattened his hand against her cheek as she continued to speak. "Zekk and Lowie should work out fine."

"With you in charge, no doubt," Jag commented. He glanced past her at the chrono on the wall. "We're exiting hyperspace in six hours."

"How long do you think we're going to wait?"

He gently pulled her to lie on top of him. "I have no idea."

Jaina propped her chin up on her hands on his chest. "After you land, you're turning the Spikes over to me."

"Yes and Commander Vhiram is none too happy about it," Jag commented.

Jaina smirked, "No doubt there. I can't say I blame him."

"You're the only one I trust to keep things in control up there," Jag told her. She leaned up and placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"I rearranged the flight groups some. Only Flight Two is without a Jedi. Lowie is with Flight Three and Zekk's with Four."

"Are the new pilots going to be able to handle the shadow bombs?"

Jaina let out a frustrated groan, "I put one veteran in each group."

Jag began massaging the knots out of her back. She dropped her forehead to his shoulder. She closed her eyes as he said, "The veterans know what to do."

"Between you, Kyp and I they should have it down. It's the rookies I worry about. They've had training inside the cockpit, but…" her voice trailed off.

"It's not the same as real combat," he finished. She yawned, and slid off him. She kept one arm draped over his chest. She closed her eyes and finally fell asleep.

Tahiri watched with concern as Araneya ran her fingertips over the soft mattress in the small room she had been given on Phelope. She pushed down on the fabric warily. Having slept on the ground for the past several years, a bed was something she had forgotten about. No one had argued when Tahiri insisted that Araneya accompany her back to the Jedi hideout. Araneya's bedroom was next to Tahiri's.

"Do you foresee any problems?" Ala, a Jedi Healer, asked. She was one of the two healers stationed on the base. She was from Dathomir.

Tahiri shrugged, "I'm not sure. Sometimes she is completely lucid. Other times she babbles incoherently. The weirdest moments are when she has a conversation with you, and then thinks you are a hallucination."

Ala pressed her lips into a thin line and furrowed her brow. She had expressed concerns with housing an unbalanced woman so close to the Jedi trainees. She grudgingly accepted the arrangements when Luke and Tahiri insisted that Araneya wasn't dangerous. From the episodes Tahiri had witnessed so far, she didn't lash out. She had no aggressive tendencies.

"This is…nice?" Araneya stated, as if she wasn't sure. "What am I allowed to do?"

"You can go out in the courtyard I showed you, or the recreation room. There will be Jedi trainees around," Tahiri responded.

Araneya nodded, "Okay. Thank you. I think I'll stay here for now."

Tahiri and Ala left the room. As Tahiri closed the door, she could hear Araneya mutter incoherently. Tahiri thanked Ala for her help and turned down the hallway. She had spent the voyage back from Yavin IV talking with Araneya. Tahiri hadn't been able to piece much of history together. She was fairly certain that Araneya was from Naboo. She had described her visit to Theed, the planet's capital. She also knew the names of several past leaders. She had left the planet as a young girl and moved somewhere in the Outer Rim. She wasn't able to tell Tahiri the name of the planet, only that she lived with her mother.

Tahiri entered a room used for lightsaber drills. She'd promised Jysella she would help her practice. Jysella was leaving with Octa in two days for Bimmiel. Octa had been more than willing to take on Jysella. When Tahiri watched them interact, or any Master/Apprentice team, she found herself wishing she could do something to help. She may have been promoted to a Jedi Knight, but she hardly felt like one. Throughout the years, she had gone on missions with various Jedi, including Corran, Kyp and Kyle.

"Oh good, Tahiri, you're here," Jysella said. She was wearing tan pants and a light colored tunic with brown boots. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. She bounced from one foot to the other, tossing her lightsaber hilt between her hands. The crystal had been a gift from her grandfather and produced a blue beam.

"Nervous?" Tahiri responded as she shrugged off her robe and tossed it to the floor. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, securing it with the band she kept around her wrist.

"I'm sparring with Octa in two hours," she said.

"For the first time?" Tahiri asked. She unhooked her lightsaber from her belt and thumbed on the blade. She held it in front of her as she struck a defensive pose. She was letting Jysella make the first move. She had sparred with Jysella many times and was familiar with her particular style.

"Yes," Jysella answered as she turned on her blade. She took an offensive stance and attacked. Tahiri blocked her blade quickly. Jysella attacked again; this time Tahiri dodged right. The two continued, Jysella taking the more offensive role. Tahiri flipped over her and began to press her own attack. Jysella, light on her feet, avoided her attacks with a series of side steps.

Ocat entered the room. Upon sensing her, Tahiri and Jysella stopped their duel. They extinguished their blades and saluted each other before bowing to Octa.

"Master Ramis," Tahiri greeted as she walked by. She started to slip out of the room, but Octa stopped her. "Stay. I'd like to run through yours and Jysella's maneuvers."

Tahiri tipped her head. Jysella smiled at her gratefully. Whether Octa asked Tahiri to stay to ease Jysella's nerves or not, it had certainly had that effect.

"Okay," Octa said, rubbing her hands together. "Let's get started."


	34. Chapter Thirty Two

**Chapter Thirty-two**  
Soontir stood with his arms clasped behind his back on the bridge of his Star Destroyer overlooking his staff. To his left were the communication officers; to his right were other technicians operating the other monitors. Everyone was on alert. Any second they would make the final jump to Chandrilla. Soontir had not been to Chandrilla in over twenty years. He had few memories of the planet. He'd spent a brief twenty-four hour leave there before taking off for another mission. The only items he could recall were green rolling hills and low houses.

"General, a light stock freighter is approaching. They're requesting to speak to you. Should I patch it through?" one of the officers called out.

Soontir motioned for him to transfer the transmission to his comm station. Soontir flipped on the channel, "Fel."

"Got a place for us to land?" Han Solo's gruff voice called over the speaker.

"There should be some room in the garbage compactor," Soontir responded good-naturedly.

"Watch it, Fel," Han responded with a slight growl. Soontir heard Leia laughing as she told Han to quiet down.

"Docking Bay 445," he said and switched off the comm. He removed his personal comm from his pocket and dialed Jag's frequency.

"Fel," his son's voice answered immediately.

"The Solos just arrived."

"I wasn't aware they were coming," Jag stated with slight surprise. "What bay?"

"445."

"I'll tell Jaina. Thank you."

Soontir switched off his comm and slipped it back in his pocket. He told the deck commander where he would be and left the deck. He was curious as to why the Solos were there, too. However, he wasn't surprised that Han and Leia had appeared in the middle of a confrontation.

When Soontir spotted the _Millennium Falcon,_ he was once again amazed that it could still fly. Carbon scoring marred the surface of the ship. Faded grey, red and black paint created an almost camouflage pattern on the vessel. The boarding ramp creaked as it lowered. Soontir turned slightly when he heard footsteps behind him. Jaina was rushing to the ship, Jag in tow.

"What are you doing here?" Jaina asked as Leia exited the ramp.

"We had a delivery to make," Leia commented, glancing back towards the ship. Jaina's eyes narrowed as she walked past her mother. She reached the base of the ramp and shouted, "Kyp Durron, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Hello to you, too," Kyp remarked as he came down the ramp.

"You are supposed to be in the med ward," Jaina snapped, hands on her hips.

"I got out early. I wasn't about to let you have all the fun," he said with a cocky look. Jaina shook her head in annoyance, but Soontir could see a slight grin on her face.

"Are you staying?" Jaina asked her mother.

Leia shook her head, "No, we're going to help Lando at Velusia."

Soontir turned away from the conversation when Han appeared. He shook Han's hand, "Need anything before you head out?"

"Nah," Han commented. Soontir bid Han and Leia good luck, and then turned to leave the hanger. He made it halfway to the elevator when his comm pinged. He removed it from his pocket and answered it, "Fel."

"Sir, it's time."

Cirrus had quickly become Nichos's favorite world. Its rolling beaches and golden oceans were inviting and soothing. It was hot, as any world with two suns would be. Several urban centers dotted the landscape. If the planet wasn't crawling with Vong, it would be a great place to live. They had destroyed the larger cities, but some of the small, more remote areas were still intact.

Nichos was standing in what used to be a high-scale eating establishment. All the mechanical equipment had been smashed. He and a few others managed to cobble together a workable stove and refrigerator unit. They were able to store any fish they caught in the ocean.

Nichos and his group had taken a different approach than the other teams. The camps on Cirrus were less organized than on other planets. The slave settlements were located just outside of the cities. The slaves who weren't cultivating amphistaffs dismantled the once thriving urban centers. The parts were thrown into the pit to be eaten by the maw luur next to the sacrificial pit in the main city. After spying on the camps, Nichos' team had decided traditional methods wouldn't work.

Pax, one of the team members, entered the room. He tossed a crude longblaster on one of the tables. He sat down in one of the chairs, propped his feet on the table and locked his hands behind his head. "You aren't going to believe what Mae found."

"What?" Nichos asked.

"A backup team. She's bringing them in now. Four more people, plus weapons. They told her that the military is sending some help. Empire, I think," he explained.

"Any Jedi?"

"No idea," Pax responded.

"How much fire power do they have?"

"Enough detonators to blow up four city blocks," Pax said with a grin.

"Perfect," he said. He, Pax and Mae had been poisoning the amphistaff fields for a week now. The living weapons weren't dead, but had weakened.

"I was thinking we'd strike at the next mass sacrifice," Nichos suggested. "All the Vong will be present."

Pax nodded, "Good idea. We'll bounce the idea off Mae and the new people."

Nichos sat down across from Pax. He glanced around the room. If he made it out of this alive, after he took care of Stav's request, he would come back here and try to get involved in remodeling this place. He hadn't been there long, but he could see a future in the old, broken restaurant.

It was something to hope for.

Jag's teeth rattled as he looped around the three coralskippers harassing his wingmates. The skips separated, two following Jag. He flipped his Clawcraft to the right to avoid the barrage of plasma trying to kill him. One of his wingmates destroyed one of the skips. He managed to move behind the second skip and take it out.

A large corvette was guarding the planet, loaded to capacity with coralskippers. A yammosk was controlling the pilots, taking away the advantage many had become used to. The Dozen had been assigned to finding and destroying the war coordinator. With four Jedi using shadow bombs, it was hoped they could take it out easier than a regular squadron. Jag and his squadron were trying to clear a path for the rescue vehicles and strike teams to land on the planet.

"Dozen One, what's the status on that yammosk?" control asked. Jag couldn't identify who was speaking.

"We're working on it," Jaina's voice snapped over the comm. Jag glanced down at his screen to find her marker. She was quite a ways away, surrounded by coralskippers. He wanted more than anything to help her, but he couldn't.

"Spike Lead," a voice called over a private channel. It was Lieutenant Colonel Arnjak, leader of the Imperial Grey Squadron.

"Yes, Colonel?"

"The frigate is showing signs of weakening on the port side. A couple well-placed torps would take it out," she said.

Half the Grey Squadron had been destroyed. The remaining members were still hammering at the frigate. Jag responded, "Coming around in two minutes."

Jag led half of his squadron to help the frigate. As he flew around, cheers erupted across the comm channel.

"Yehaw!"

"Yommask is gone!"

"Great job, all. Now let's go clear a path for those shuttles," Jaina's voice said cutting over the chatter.

Jag flipped to her channel, "Jaina, do you have any shadow bombs left?"

"Yes," she responded tiredly.

"They need help with the frigate."

"I've got two left," she confirmed. "You leading in?"

"What happened to Kole and Damansa?" he asked, referring to the rest of her flight group. Kyp was leading Flight Two, Lowie Flight Three and Zekk Flight Four.

"Dead," she said solemnly. "I'm honing in on your signal."

Jag fell silent. He, like Jaina, couldn't focus on who had died until after the fight. Mourning the dead in the midst of a battle would only get them killed. He followed the coordinates to the weakened side of the frigate. Jaina's X-Wing appeared beside him. A large scorch mark coved the fuselage. Jag swallowed nervously at the sight.

"I've got two flights working on distracting the dovin basals," Jag stated.

"Got it. Ready?"

"Launch it," he responded. He and Jaina had done this countless times with the shadow bombs. They no longer needed to go through instructions. Jag began to fly toward the frigate, the shadow bomb trailing his Clawcraft. He knew his wingmates were providing cover. Jag got as close to the frigate as possible and then turned sharply as Jaina guided the bomb in.

The back end of the frigate crumbled as the bomb exploded. As it split into two pieces, the remainders of the TIE squadron decimated the remains.

"We'll cover your run to the planet," Jaina stated. "Be careful, Jag."

Before he could respond, she switched to the main channel and started giving out orders. Jag instructed the Spikes to follow her lead as he and the remaining TIE fighters moved to escort the transports and strike teams. Only four TIE pilots remained of the original twelve.

"Captain Zerga," Jag said into the comm after dialing the frequency of the smuggler piloting the shuttle to the planet.

"Loud and clear kid," the man drawled. "Ready to head down?"

Jag rattled off the approach vector. He followed alongside the shuttle Last Chance. The atmosphere of Chandrilla was relatively calm. Jaina and the others were effectively keeping the coralskippers off their backs. Without the yammosks controlling the crafts, the coralskipper pilots were forced to use their own wits.

"Wow," one of the pilots breathed in awe over the comm. Jag had to agree. Columns of smoke swirled through the air. Chiss attack shuttles sped ahead of them, blasting large structures out of the way. Jag winced as a group of beings raced out of the way. They were like pinpricks on a painting, but he knew what they were. He hoped that innocent lives weren't being shed, even though he knew better

The Last Chance landed at the assigned point. The escort fights settled in a loose circle around the shuttle. Jag quickly switched the craft to standby and exited the cockpit, charric in hand. Tam Zerga strode down the shuttle ramp, blaster ready.

Jag lifted his comlink to his lips as he dialed the correct frequency for one of the contacts, Thea Marr. She responded immediately, "This is Marr. What?"

"What's your position?" Jag asked. As he spoke, two Vong Warriors ran towards the ship. One began throwing thud bugs at the pilots. Jag aimed and fired, the bolt catching the Warrior in the neck. It didn't take him down, but slowed him. Another pilot's shot hit his knee, causing the Warrior to fall to the ground. He continued to throw thud bugs. Zerga's shot finally killed the Warrior. The other fell a second later. All during this, Marr described the area she was. She said she witnessed Jag's landing and would be there soon. She had most of the slaves with her.

"Ah!" one of the pilots yelped as a thud bug hit her arm. Her arm hung limply at her side as she continued to shoot at the approaching Vong. One of the other pilots, still wearing his helmet, ran forward to help her. The Warrior fell quickly, as the others had.

"Stay here," Jag ordered the pilots and Zerga. He gestured to the pilot behind him, "Come with me. What's your name?"

"Lieutenant Misa Terrello," he said as he followed Jag. To their right, a Chiss troop transport lowered next to them. A platoon jumped out and ran forward. The clearing the shuttle had landed in was at the edge of a forest. Jag and Misa walked along the trees. It was safer than running out in the open.

"The slave group and team are over there," Jag said. Misa nodded as they ran. Both men kept glancing towards the trees for any Vong hiding in the forest.

An amphistaff wrapped around Jag's arm from behind, jerking him backwards and knocking his charric from his hand. His entire body stiffened as the Warrior pulled. Jag growled, irritated that he hadn't seen him coming. He glanced over and saw that Misa was engaged with another Warrior. His blaster had been knocked from his grasp. He rolled back and forth trying to avoid the crushing blow from the amphistaff. Meanwhile, Jag swung his fist towards the Vong's head. The Warrior ducked, whipping Jag around. The Warrior pressed a coufee into his side. Jag could feel it cut through the fabric of his flightsuit and into his skin. Blood began to roll down his hip. Jag jerked down and kicked his leg. The Warrior's leg snapped back, knocking Jag to the ground with him. The amphistaff yanked on his arm, pulling his shoulder from its socket. As the Warrior fell to the ground, Jag was able to pry the coufee out of his grip. He elbowed the Warrior in the stomach as he twisted around and slashed his throat. The Vong continued to struggle as blood poured from the gash on his neck. He finally fell dead. The amphistaff loosened its grip, freeing Jag's arm. He scrambled for his blaster and turned to where Terrello was trying to evade the Vong. Jag shot at the Warrior, first catching him in the kidneys, and then behind the knee. Taking advantage of the distraction, Misa found his blaster and shot the Warrior in the neck were his armor gapped.  
Jag stumbled over to Misa and helped him stand. The man had a large lump on his forehead, a cut on his cheek and he was limping slightly.  
"You're bleeding," Misa said, gesturing to Jag's side.

Jag waved his hand dismissively. He reached down and picked up the bloody coufee off the ground. He wiped off some of the blood on his uniform leg as he instructed, "They're right up there. Let's go."

Britna crouched next to a large boulder. Five slaves were surrounding her. Alliance shuttles had landed roughly thirty minutes ago. They were being slaughtered. The damuteks and other structures had fallen successfully, but the Vong weren't giving up. Shapers were fighting with the ferocity of Warriors.

Britna clutched a stolen blaster. She had found it on the ground by a dead Galactic Alliance soldier. His blood still covered the handle. Britna tried not to think about it, or even look at the handle. She pressed her back into the rock.

"What now?" Lyn growled. He was holding a spear he had fashioned earlier that day. His left cheek was split open. One eye was swelling shut from where a Shaper had sprayed something in his eye.

Britna shrugged. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't a military leader. She couldn't make the decision that would dictate if these people lived or died.  
"We fight," Katy responded. She tucked her ragged blond hair behind her ear. She was from Bakura. A tattoo of the Balance symbol was on her collarbone. She was armed with a vibroblade and stolen amphistaff. She picked up a medium sized rock from the ground and gripped it tightly. "We are going to die. We may as well make it worth it."

The others nodded their heads slowly. Britna furrowed her brow. She didn't want to die. She wanted to find a new home and maybe get married and have children one day. She was no hero. She had survived the Vong once before. It seemed unfair that she couldn't this time. However, she thought, she couldn't tempt fate again and just walk away. She swallowed nervously. She had always been afraid of death. Once you died, that was it. She was one of billions. No one would remember her. It would be as if she wasn't even there.

No, she thought quickly, Jacen would remember her. It was a small comfort, but not enough to ease her fears.

"Britna?" Katy said. "Are you ready?"

Britna looked at each of the slaves. They looked determined, frightened, tired and angry. Katy seemed to figure out what she was thinking and rested a hand on her shoulder, "Britna, thank you for coming here. Hearing about our home made these last days much easier."

Britna gave her a small, grateful smile. She readjusted her grip on the bloody blaster handle. Lyn gave them all a nod and he lurched forward. He screamed an indeterminable cry as he ran headfirst into the fray. He swung his spear into the closest Vong, a Shaper Adept. He pushed it into her side and twisted. She clawed at his face, the instruments of her Shaper's hand gouging into his flesh. He let out a warbled, pained scream but didn't stop. Britna watched in horrified fascination as the two struggled and then collapsed in a dead heap.

The slaves sat silently for a second, and then they all charged. Britna felt a sense of strength, as if Lyne's sacrifice was fueling her veins. It was as he had passed on his energy, drive and determination. Britna let out a yell and charged forward…

The tactical displays in the Steadfast flashed as fights winked out of existence. Compared with other battles, this one was fairly small. The problem was that three squadrons simply couldn't take out a yammosk, frigate and dozens of coralskippers. Soontir had to admit, much to the annoyance of many of the Chiss Council members, that their success so far would have been impossible without the three Jedi.

Two smuggler ships were transporting the team members and slaves off the planet. The Yuuzhan Vong weren't the only ones lacking wartime materials. How Jag had managed to procure shuttles to transport his teams, Soontir had no idea. He had no spare shuttles aboard the _Steadfast._

"We got to get out of here," Atelia Oberal, captain of the Ryll Runner, barked over the comm.

"There's no clear vector," one of the communication officers responded.

"Well, it's either stay down here and have my ship sliced apart like a nerf roast or take my chances getting shot down. I think I'll take my chances in the air," she snapped back.

"Sir, what should we do?" the officer asked.

Soontir toggled the comm switch on his board. He said, "Captain Oberal, go ahead and take off. We'll send you an escort."

"Wasn't waiting for your permission, but thanks," she retorted. Soontir ignored her tone and relayed exit vectors. He then needed to find someone to escort the ship. He instructed the control to relay the orders to Jaina. He had to come up with something quick.


	35. Chapter Thirty Three

**Chapter Thirty-three**

Jaina swore as Dozen Ten winked out. She had lost too many pilots, including her two wingmates. She was currently working with Lowie. He'd lost one of his wingmates as well. Kyp was the only one with entire trio. She didn't know how many were left in the Spikes.

The yammosk and main frigate were gone, but the atmosphere buzzed with coralskippers. One would explode and two more would appear. She didn't know where they were coming from. Jaina gritted her teeth as she pushed down the throttle on her X-Wing. She twisted between coralskippers, showering the area with laser fire.

"One of the evacuation shuttles launching," control called.

"Are they insane?" Zekk asked over the squadron line.

"It must be bad down there," Kyp said gravely.

Jaina ignored them. She glanced down at her displays and ordered, "All remaining Spike pilots run escort for the incoming shuttle. Coordinates incoming."

Jaina surveyed the scene outside her cockpit as she evaded plasma bolts. Smoking hunks of coral drifted around them. A solar ray from a TIE fighter floated by. Another pilot's dying scream pierced her ears. She had to do something to even up the odds. She turned her X-Wing to face the shuttle breaking through the atmosphere. Several coralskippers veered off their course to harass the vessel. She wasn't going to let anything happen to it, or the slaves inside.

"Jaina, I could use your help over here," Kyp called. "I've got a cluster that won't let up."

"On my way," she said, and then ordered, "Zekk, go help the Spikes with that shuttle."

"I'm on it," he said. She had confidence that he could handle the situation. She pushed the control stick to the right, honing in on Kyp's signal. When she arrived, she could see his problem. Five coralskippers were trying to take out him and his wingmate. His other must have been the dying scream she'd heard. She buried the feeling of loss down.

"Welcome to the party," Kyp's voice called. Exhaustion betrayed the bravado he was trying to show.

"They don't see me yet," Jaina said as she targeted the closest skip. It was maneuvering behind Kyp. "Keep him busy."

"Will do."

Jaina lined up the craft in her sights and squeezed the trigger to stutter fire. The dovin basal swallowed the first two shots, but the third made it through, tearing a gap in the skip. She had no way to know if it was enough to incapacitate the coralskipper. The Vong's armor allowed them to survive for a brief amount of time in a vacuum. Jaina didn't want the pilot find a way to self-destruct his ship. Jaina kept firing until it exploded. One of the other skips turned to face her. Kyp took advantage of his freedom from the coralskipper to attack one of the ones on his wingmate, Shandria.

Jaina, Kyp and Shandria concentrated on the coralskippers, and the others who came to join the fray. Jaina wasn't able to check her instruments to see how the _Ryll Runner_ was faring, but kept a small connection with Zekk.

"Two more coming in hot," Shandria called out.

"I see them," Kyp responded as he looped around. Jaina followed him. She distracted the dovin basals while Shandria took out the coralskipper. Jaina then turned to the other skip that Kyp was attacking. She fired the destroying shots while the dovin basal took in Kyp's shots.

A white-hot pain laced through Jaina as Zekk disappeared from the Force. She choked out a gasp as Kyp called out, "Jaina! Focus!"

Jaina reached under her helmet and wiped tears from her eyes. She and Zekk had grown apart throughout the years, but he was still her friend.

"Lowie!" she suddenly called out. He had gone off with some TIE pilots an hour ago. She sighed with relief as he howled into her comm, also grieving the loss of their friend.

"The _Ryll Runner_ is aboard the flagship," Shandria said quietly.

"New orders?" one of the Spike pilots asked.

"Meet us over here," Kyp said.

"How did it happen?" Jaina asked voice raw.

"He took the hit that would have taken out the _Ryll Runner's _engines," one of the pilots said. "There was no other way to stop it. We destroyed the coralskippers harassing the shuttle."

Jaina didn't respond. She took a calming breath. She had refocus before someone else died. She reached out to Ani and Davin, using the knowledge that they were safe to center herself.

"Let's get closer to the _Steadfast_. It will draw the fighters away from the planet," she ordered. She was going to do whatever she could to keep that second shuttle safe.

Gravel flew through the air as a detonator impacted the ground. Jag and Misa turned away, throwing their arms over their eyes. They had found Thea Marr and her group. As the dirt settled, Marr began to speak, "There are about five hundred in this group. A bunch got out on the _Ryll Runner_. I haven't heard from anyone else."

"We'll get them out of here," Jag promised. They were standing against a collapsed damutek. The slaves crammed into the tight space were all armed with thud and razor bugs. A Devorian male was spinning a razor bug between his fingers. He had a large strip of brown cloth tied over his head. Jag could see blood seeping through the fibers. The other slaves were all marked with blood, cuts, bruises and other injuries.

"We've being fighting since dawn," Thea stated. "The Vong know what you want and have blockaded the others in their shelters."

Jag's face paled. He'd seen several structures destroyed by the Chiss soldiers. He snatched his comlink off his belt and switched it to his pilot's frequency. He ordered for them to send a message to the _Steadfast _warning the Chiss about the situation.

"The_ Last Chance _is right over there," Misa stated, gesturing behind him. How do we want to do this?"

"Run," Thea said. "Some of us will provide cover while the rest make a break for it. As long as your Chiss buddies do their damn job, we'll be fine."

Misa bristled at the comment, but Jag ignored it. "Get ready."

Thea rearranged the group so the weakest were on the inside of the cluster. A makeshift bin filled with buzzing thud and razor bugs sat on the ground. Thea gestured for Jag and Misa to pass them around, adding to the slaves' current arsenal.

"Okay, listen up!" Thea shouted. "We want to get as many of us on the shuttle as possible. Colonel Fel is the boss here. If he tells you to run, you run. If he tells you to duck, you duck. Jhoren and Ruwee are taking the front with the Colonel. I'll be in the middle coordinating. Sul and Rance are with me. This guy-"

"Misa," he said as she pointed to him. The slaves were already arranging themselves into position. Jag got the impression that they had practice with this before.

"Right, Misa, is going to take the rear. I want Eryne and Teena with him," Thea continued, pointing to a Wookiee and a Twi'lek. "Everyone else, watch each other's backs. Don't waste your weapons. Mako sacrificed himself so we could have these. Don't let his death be in vain. Okay, go!"

"That good with you?" Thea asked as she passed Jag.

"Yes," he responded as he moved to the front. It wasn't necessarily a tactic he would use, but he was going to follow Thea's lead. She knew the slaves; he didn't. She knew what they were capable of. It reminded him of Barab I. He peeked around the edge of the crumpled wall, or what he thought had been a wall. Chiss and Vong were locked in combat; the Chiss were winning. Jag waved the slaves forward as he shouted, "Now!"

Zerga hated Lando Calrissean. He hated him more than anyone right now.

Zerga used to work for Lando. He delivered the YVH droids. It had been a good, steady pay. His ship was armed with more than would normally be legally allowed. He could obtain anything he wanted. Lando had to pay his droid deliveries well. It wasn't uncommon for them to be attacked.

About six months into his employment, Zerga started making side deals. He would steal a droid or two and sell it on the black market. Lando found out, somehow, and threatened him. The two of them finally came to an agreement and now, Zerga was stuck on Chandrilla listening to trumped-up colonel. He had to pack his precious ship full of captives.

The colonel in question rushed into the cockpit. Zerga raised an eyebrow at the bloodstain on his side, and then he turned back to the console. Jag sat down in the pilot's chair and slapped the ramp control.

"Hey-" Zerga started to protest.

"Sit down and strap in," Jag ordered as he flipped various switches on the board.

"Your ship-"

"Is gone," Jag snapped. He pulled on the throttle and the ship began to rise from the ground. He continued as the ship gained altitude, "The Vong destroyed mine and another. Arm the guns."

Zerga sat down in the co-pilot's chair in annoyance. He narrowed his eyes as he powered up his weapons. He heard Jag contact the _Steadfast._ He was promised an escort of some kind.

Zerga gritted his teeth as he aimed and fired at a group of Vong on the ground. He wasn't about to let some intergalactic beings ruin his ship.

"Colonel Solo-Fel, the _Last Chance _is breaking atmosphere in approximately two minutes," one of the communication officers aboard the _Steadfast_ called.

"Acknowledged," Jaina responded. "Kyp, Shandria, let's go."

The three fighters turned away and flew towards the planet. Jaina contacted the shuttle, "_Last Chance_, you're clear through Sector Fourteen."

"Thank you, Colonel," Jag's voice responded. Jaina grinned. She had sensed him, but assumed he was running escort.

"Where's your ship?" she asked with concern.

"Gone," Jag responded. "What's the situation up here?"

Jaina told him that most of the coralskippers were gone. All the remaining fighters had gathered around the _Steadfast_. At the moment, they held the space around the planet. Everyone hoped no additional Vong would arrive in the system. Odds were slim of that happening, what with the other skirmishes going on right at that moment.

Jaina led the smuggler vessel to the massive Star Destroyer. A blast of noise came over her comm, "The planet is ours."

The slaves were on all fours, forced to chant a prayer to Yun Yammka. Low-ranking guards stood among them as higher ranking individuals lined the massive sacrificial pit. Three priests stood at the head of the pit. One led the crowd through the chants; another was pouring crushed coral and oil into the chasm. The third, holding the highest rank, raised his left hand in the air. He held a coufee etched with ceremonial markings in the other hand.) He brought down the blade and lopped off his right hand at the wrist. One of the Acolytes wrapped the stump with a living cloth. It tightened around his wrist and stopped the blood from flowing.

Nichos glanced at the slaves on either side of him. He and Mae had crept into the crowd. He cupped a detonator under each hand.

A low rumble sounded through the clearing. Nichos's comm, hidden in his ear, clicked three times. He switched on the detonator and held down the trigger. He set the timer for one minute. As the closest Vong looked towards the source of the noise, Nichos pitched the detonator forward. It landed several meters away and rolled towards the Vong by the pit. The sloping land worked towards his advantage.

The detonator exploded, instantly killing many Yuuzhan Vong. Battle cries pierced the air. Slaves ran away from the pit as laser fire filled the air. Nichos threw his other detonator behind him. He grabbed a fallen slave and helped her to her feet. He pulled out his small blaster he had hidden in his vest, defending the slaves as best he could. He heard Mae shout her own cry at the Vong as she threw her explosives.

"This way!" Nichos shouted to the slaves, pointing them towards a half-destroyed tunnel. Three ships were waiting to pick up the slaves. "Follow it to the ship at the exit!"

Nichos funneled slaves through to the opening. Some had stayed by the pit, engaging the Vong in hand-to-hand combat. They slapped the Vong with their dying amphistaffs. Many of the slaves died, but some of the Vong were killed.

A trio of TIE Bombers swooped from overhead, dropping bombs into the pit. The large explosives caused a mild ground quake and caught the contents of the pit on fire. The fire spread quickly over the edge of the pit, incinerating anything in their path.

"Come on!" Nichos screamed. His job was to guide the people out of the area. He could see Mae shoving a group along. The slaves didn't need much encouragement to leave.

Nichos's comm buzzed and a voice said, "The other two settlements are destroyed."

Nichos tapped his ear to end the transmission. He coughed from the smoke as Mae ran up to him. Her face was dirty and bloody. "Go on, Nichos. I got the rest of this. You need to help load 'em up."

"Got it," he responded and turned to leave. He gave one final glance towards the landscape. More fighters had appeared, along with a legion of stormtroopers. It looked like the mission had been a success.

Nichos grinned to himself as he helped the slaves onto the ships. The suns were setting, casting a beautiful glow over the landscape. Slaves were laughing and crying in joy.

Yes, he would certainly be back one day.

On fourteen other planets, slaves fought Yuuzhan Vong with determination and drive. Detonators exploded, damatuks fell, and amphistaffs lost their strength. Razor bugs tore through flesh on both sides as black blood mixed with red. On some planets, like Mygeeto and Torque, the slaves were successful in their revolts. Elsewhere, like Kalee and Elom, the slaves were slaughtered.

Even with the failures, the Vong were finally paying for what they had done.

Standing in a small room aboard a Star Destroyer orbiting Chandrilla, a man closed his eyes in quiet reflection. He'd done it. He had found a way to free those who were suffering and bring hope that the end would be here. He would never forget those who had sacrificed their lives to bring the galaxy closer to the end of the nightmare.

Responsibility fell onto the Jedi and leaders of the galaxy to find a solution. The Vong were weakened. It was their decision whether to strike or leave.

Jag opened his eyes and stared at the swirling patterns of hyperspace. He prayed they made the correct choice.


	36. Chapter Thirty four

**Chapter Thirty-four**

Jacen sat in the chair in front of the comm unit in his sister's apartment. The light from the blue screen cast an eerie glow on his solemn features. He had just spoken to Tenel Ka. Both had felt the death of their friend Zekk. She had tracked Jacen down before he'd been able to contact her.

"Uncle Jasa?" Ani's voice called. Jacen turned to face his niece. She was standing in front of her bedroom door, clothes rumpled from sleep. He'd offered to stay with the children that night for Syal.

"What are you doing up, Ani?" he asked quietly.

She walked towards him and said, "Something bad happened. Is that why you are sad?"

"A friend of mine died," he told her gently. Ani knew Zekk. Jacen didn't know how much Jaina and Jag had told Ani about death. He hated that he had to be the one to tell her, but she needed to know, to understand. He guessed that she had sensed Jaina's shock, not Zekk disappearing from the Force. She hadn't been close to him, nor was she strong enough yet.

"Is that why Mama felt sad?" she asked, confirming his suspicious.

"Yes," Jacen glanced up towards the door. He wasn't surprised to see Davin enter the room. Even if he hadn't felt something from Jaina, any time Ani was in distress he was close by. "Come here, Davin. I have something I need to tell you two."

Jacen took a deep breath and let it out. He hoped Jaina wouldn't be upset with him for having this conversation. The truth of the matter was that they would probably find out soon. Jacen would have to let Corran and the other Jedi on the base who hadn't felt it know. Keeping such a matter from two observant Force-sensitive children was next to impossible.

"Zekk died today," he said slowly. "He was one of your teachers."

Davin's face was unreadable, an expression he had undoubtedly inherited from his father. His green eyes flicked over to his sister, and then back at Jacen. Ani's eyes filled with tears as her lower lip trembled. She bit it to try to stop it. Davin reached out and grabbed her hand. He said, "Ani, Mommy's fine. You can feel her still."

Jacen squeezed his eyes shut. He could kick himself for not making the connection. The children knew Zekk and Lowbacca had joined Jaina's squadron. It was only natural for them to fear something had happened to her as well. Jacen pulled Ani on his lap and said, "It's okay, Ani. Your mom and dad are fine."

The words seemed to calm her down. Jacen remembered when he was a child. Reassurance from his parents usually relaxed him. He hoped it would be a long time before Ani lost that.

"Did Zekk hurt?" Ani asked quietly as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Jacen didn't know the answer to her question, but he wasn't going to make her feel worse. He said, "No."

Ani was satisfied with the answer. Jacen was relieved. He hoped he was right. He hated to think his friend had suffered before he died. He stood up, continuing to hold Ani. He told both children, "You two need to get back to bed."

Ani shook her head, "Can't sleep."

Jacen pursed his lips. The past several days had been hard for the children before what had just happened. Their presence also comforted him. He just wouldn't tell Jaina that he let them stay up. "Okay, go change and we'll go see if we can't find something good to eat in the mess."

Ani and Davin looked at him excitedly. Ani squirmed down from his arms and darted into their bedroom. Davin waited until she was in the room before he said, "Mom and Dad are still in danger."

Jacen nodded gravely. Davin's perceptiveness reminded him so much of Anakin. No empty reassurances would sway Davin. He rested his hands on his nephew's shoulders as he said, "I know. Go and get dressed."

About twenty minutes later, Jacen, Ani and Davin were seated at a table in the mess hall eating some frozen cream with chocolate sauce. Jacen had found it in the back of the freezer.

"What are you three doing up?" Wedge called as he entered the hall. He sat down at their table, holding a steaming mug.

Jacen leaned over and whispered to Wedge what had happened to Zekk. Wedge gave him a solemn look. He turned to Ani and asked, "Where did you find that?"

"Uncle Jacen found it in the back," Davin answered as he scraped his bowl.

Wedge started to laugh, "I'm betting that was Janson's. I keep telling him anything in the kitchen is fair game."

Ani giggled, "Mama and Daddy never let us stay up."

"And your Mama will be very upset with me if she finds out," Jacen responded with a wince. "Finish up, you two."

Ani and Davin exchanged amused looks as they finished eating. Wedge glanced at his wrist chrono and said, "Jacen, let me know if you hear anything. Goodnight, you two."

"Goodnight, Uncle Wedge," the children said as he left their table. Jacen cleaned up the area. He wanted to reach out to Jaina, but didn't dare do it while the children were awake. He didn't want to distract her, either.

"Alright, you two, time to go back to bed," he said as they hopped off the benches and followed him. He grinned to himself as he listened to them chatter. Regardless of what happened, he would take care of them.

Jag stared at the wall displays in front of him. He was seated at a table in his father's ready room with Jaina. She held his hand on the table. Jag had applied a bacta bandage to his side and his other injuries had been attended to. His father was standing to the right of the main computer screen, arms crossed and eyes unfocused in thought.

A list of fifteen planets filled the screen. Chandrilla, Droxu and Harleon were marked in green, signaling that the missions on those planets were a success. Kalee was red, as were Elom and Noonar, signaling failure. In total, nine planets were successes; eight were failures. In Jag's opinion, it was eight too many.

Jag glanced over to Jaina. Her cheeks were tear-stained. After she had landed inside the Star Destroyer, she had thrown her arms around him in relief. She told him that Zekk had been killed, but hadn't gone into detail. Jag had later found out from Kyp what happened to the Jedi. He squeezed her hand tightly. She turned and smiled sadly at him. She felt guilty about Zekk's death. Not only had she requested he join her squadron, but she had ordered him to help the _Ryll Runner_.

Only one ship had survived Kalee. Seven people escaped: the smuggler pilot, two team members and four slaves. Britna was dead. One of the former slaves, a Rodian child named Voren, said he saw her fighting. Voren would need to be placed with a family. He was just one of many that needed a home.

Jag rubbed his eyes. The words on the screen were starting to blur together. He was exhausted.

"Jag," Jaina said quietly. "Go get some sleep. There's nothing you can do."

"You need to, too," he responded. She hadn't slept in over a day, either. He was more worried about her than himself. Her eyes looked haunted with grief and guilt.

"She's right, Jagged. We'll call you if something else happens," Soontir added, turning to face him.

Jag knew better than to argue with the two of them. He stood up from the table and followed Jaina from the room. He wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked. He wasn't sure who was leaning on the other more. The other pilots had either gone to their rooms or were recovering in the medward. Any slaves in critical condition were given priority. The two smuggler ships continued to evacuate the colony. Once all the slaves were gone, they would be taken to Bespin to receive more medical attention.

Jaina and Jag stumbled into their quarters. They changed out of their dirty clothes and cleaned up in silence. They collapsed on the bunk. Jag tilted her face towards his. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. He wound his fingers through her long hair. He had known she survived the encounter, but couldn't completely believe it until she was in his arms again. He pulled away from her slowly and she settled against him. They were asleep within minutes.

Jaina knelt down on the deck of one of the observation galleries aboard the _Steadfast_. She was welding pieces of sheet metal together to make a pyramid. With a laser cutter she had cut a small opening in one side.

It was a marker for Zekk. After the war ended and the new Jedi headquarters were established, she would place the marker there. She knew that others had created similar items for fallen. Jaina and Han had built one for Anakin years ago. Leia, Jacen, Luke, Mara and Tahiri had helped them fill it. It was sitting in a lockbox in the _Millennium Falcon_.

Jaina had etched a cultural symbol from Ennth on one side. It meant "Rebirth." She thought it was appropriate for Zekk. He had changed so much. He had gone from a child with a home to a stowaway. He had reinvented himself after he fell to the Dark Side, first becoming a bounty hunter and then a Jedi. She was planning to add a small Corscanti symbol on another side and a Jedi marking on a third. She had written his name on the final side. Lowie had been helping her, until he was called away.

The former slaves had been evacuated and those who were strong enough were undergoing questioning. The Chiss had set up a camp on the planet, clearing out and capturing the remaining Vong. Jag was contacting the surviving operations, arranging a mass rendezvous at Bespin. In an hour and a half, the_ Steadfast _would jump to hyperspace.

Jaina pulled off her welding mask and set it on the floor next to her. She ran her fingers over the etchings on the marker. She didn't know if it would sit in the ground, or be attached to a wall. She had sent her uncle a short message alerting him of Zekk's death. She had forwarded it to Tenel Ka, Jacen and the other members of the Mrkyr strike team. She knew some would have sensed it, but they all needed to hear it. It made the loss more real when she said it.

She and Zekk hadn't spent much time together since the Academy, but she still considered him one of her friends. The two of them had spent hours working together. He had been her first crush. He had taught Ani and Davin for several months. She had felt surprise from her children, but they were okay now. She hadn't been able to contact them, but at least she and Jag would be back in a day and a half.

Jaina wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes. Zekk was one more Jedi, one more friend lost. His sacrifice had torn at the fabric of the Force. Nothing could replace him.

Colonel Klar tapped his fingers on the conference room table in agitation. Wedge watched him from across the room with amusement. Klar had gotten out of actually going out on any engagements. He had instead spent the past several days watching the monitors and listening to communications. Anywhere the Empire succeeded, he took partial credit. All the reports had been rerouted to him before reaching Bastion. Wedge suspected he was adding in his name.

Iella slipped into the chair next to Wedge. She pressed a datacard into his hand as she whispered, "Here's an updated report from Jag."

Wedge pulled his datapad out of his pocket and slipped in the card. He scanned the text. It was a detailed list of each planet and current mission statuses. Wedge added the information to his own listing. Part of him wondered how Jag had managed to finish it so quickly. He would forward the completed report, along with his own analysis, to the military council and Chief of State.

One of Klar's aides appeared, and he followed her out of the room. Wedge took advantage of his absence to turn and talk to his wife. "What's next?"

"All the captives are on their way back here," Iella told him.

"You know I don't mind helping, but the Empire and Chiss could take some of them. We don't have enough supplies," he said dejectedly.

Iella didn't have an answer for him. She picked up his hand, rubbing his palm with her thumb. Wedge closed his eyes. He had to admit that he didn't know if Jag's idea would work. He knew his nephew would never suggest a plan that wasn't well thought out or plausible. He didn't know what would happen next. The heads of the government didn't tell him much. His job was to keep the Bespin base running smoothly. Of course, being married to the head of the Intelligence division did give him a slight advantage the others at his level of authority. Iella didn't tell him everything; just what she felt he should know.

"Syal and Myri volunteered to help Mirax with everyone coming in on the _Pulsar Skate_," Iella said after awhile. "I think it will be good for them to do something proactive."

"Are you sure they are ready?" Wedge asked. He wished he could shelter his daughters from the pain and destruction. They still had nightmares about their escape from Coruscant. Those weeks when he didn't know if they had survived were the worst of his life.

Iella nodded, "Yes. They know what's going on. It's time for them to help. Mirax will keep an eye on them."

Wedge squeezed her hand as he asked, "When will Mirax be here?"

"Sometime in the next day or so. The _Errant Venture_ will be close behind," she said. "The rest of the transports are coming in over the next three days."

"I'll tell Dr. Alvin," Wedge stated. Alvin was the head of the medcenter on the base. Wedge closed his datapad and put it in his pocket. He stood up from the table. Klar wasn't coming back and Wedge was tired of waiting on the insufferable man.

"Going now?" Iella asked.

"Might as well," Wedge told her. "Walk with me?"

Iella smiled at him, "I have a few minutes before my conference call.

She took his arm. Once again, Wedge thanked the Force that he was able to convince Omas to allow the Intelligence division to stay on Bespin.


	37. Chapter Thirty five

**Chapter Thirty-five**

The observation gallery was beginning to clear out for the evening. Jacen stood in front of one of the large windows, arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't looking at anything in particular. He'd been standing there for over an hour, not paying any attention to any of the room's occupants. His mood was rather gloomy.

He felt rather than saw his sister approach. He'd been expecting her. She stared out the same window as she said, "Davin told me you are his new favorite babysitter."

"He told you, didn't he?" Jacen asked. He was grateful Jaina had taken this route of conversation rather than talk about what was really bothering him, Britna's death.

Jaina flashed him a smirk, "Davin, like his father, can't hide anything from me."

"The Force is a dead giveaway."

"I don't need the Force," she stated.

Jacen chuckled, "A mom thing?"

"I suppose," she said slowly.

"Sorry, Jaina," he said, giving her their father's lopsided grin.

"Oh, I don't mind," Jaina responded with a shrug. "You're their uncle. They're supposed to have fun with you. Just keep that in mind when you have children and they come to stay with Aunt Jaina. Remember how Uncle Luke would take us to all those places Mom and Dad wouldn't?"

Jacen shook his head in amusement, "Yeah and it usually ended up in you and Anakin reprogramming a recording."

Jaina laughed. Luke had once taken the three Solo children to a real animal zoo. Jaina and Anakin had found the control podium for the welcoming droid. They'd programmed it to greet the guests with wampa sounds. She added, "We wouldn't have been able to escape to do that if you hadn't slipped into the lizard exhibit."

Jacen shrugged with some embarrassment. He had wanted to watch the lizard lay its eggs. He was caught after a few minutes. Luke forced him to apologize. While that was going on, his siblings were able to slip away. "Ani and Davin don't get in nearly as much trouble as we did."

"No," Jaina admitted, somewhat reflectively. She rested a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry about Britna, Jacen."

He shrugged uncomfortably. Jag had pulled him aside when he returned to tell him about Britna's fate. Jacen didn't know how he felt about it. He was sad for the loss, of course, but did he lose a friend or something more? In the hours since he had heard the news, he'd grudgingly admitted to himself that if they had spent more time together, their relationship would have become something more. He cared for her, but events had kept them apart. He wondered if he was not only mourning the loss of a friend, but a possible future.

It was rather dramatic, he reflected. He would remember her for the rest of his life.

"Jaina?" he said quietly.

She turned to face him, "Yes?"

"Do you need to head back?"

She shook her head, "I can stay."

Jacen gave her a small smile as they sat down on one of the nearby benches. They sat together for the next hour just watching the stars.

An entire hangar bay in the Bespin base had been dedicated to the return of the captives. Each able team had submitted a list of the names of the slaves with their group. The final list included some of the known dead. It had been forwarded to the committee dedicated to reuniting families. The group had sent out a general broadcast on the news networks announcing the return of thousands. A list of the names was available for viewing on the Holonet. Many people had already come to Bespin, eagerly seeking out loved ones found on the list. Some were disappointed to find it was another being with the same name. Others came to find out how their loved one had died.

Jag stood with a group of about fifty orphaned children. Some had lost their parents during their captivity. Others had been alone for years. The two youngest had been born at the camps. He listened as Jaina entertained the children with a story from her childhood. The Refuge Unification Committee was working to find homes for the displaced children. All but three were being adopted by the adults they lived with at the camps. Jag's mother had offered to take the three children in until homes were found for them. He had a feeling that if there were no place for them to go, she would just adopt them herself.

A roar of joy sounded through the hangar as a Wookiee family reunited. Chattering, crying, shouts and shrieks of others quickly filled the air. Ships and transports were continuously coming and going. Jag felt surreal as he watched the scene. He could see a human woman crying as two others told her how her husband and daughter had died. Two Bith rushed towards the medical ward to visit their injured friend.

The new parents pulled the children from Jag's group as the afternoon progressed. Those who weren't leaving made their way to the refugee camp. A few had thanked him and the other team members.

Syal appeared with Ani and Davin to pick up the three children. She kept a firm grasp on their hands to prevent them from getting lost in the crowd.

"Daddy!" Ani squealed as they approached. Syal finally released her hand so she could go to her father. Ani wrapped her arms around his leg. "Are you done working?"

"Almost," he answered. He and Jaina had returned two days ago. This evening they were finally able to spend some alone time with their children.

"Come along, Raven, Iris and Dalik," Syal said gently to the three children. They nodded solemnly and followed her from the hangar.

Jaina watched them leave with a look of concern on her face. It was short-lived however, as Ani released Jag's leg and took Jaina's hand. "Mommy, are you and Daddy done now?"

"Yes, I think so," she answered, glancing at Jag for confirmation.

"Are you two ready for dinner?" Jag asked.

"Yes," Davin stated, and then asked, "Can we get whatever we want?"

"We'll see," Jag said as they began to walk towards the mess hall. He gave one last parting glance at the hangar where a few straggling groups were standing, hoping to go home.

Two storage crates sat on the floor of Zekk's room on Phelope. One contained all the young man's clothing. The other one held a few personal items and holos. The bed had been stripped of its sheets. A cleaning droid would come in and clean the room to prepare it for its next occupant, whoever it would be.

One holo hadn't made it into the crate yet. It was clutched in Luke's hand. It was an image of Zekk leaning against the _Lightening Rod_ with his arms crossed. He was talking to Jaina, who had one hand on the ship, checking an access panel. It had been taken sometime during their stint at the Jedi Academy. Zekk looked at peace.

Peckhum, the old spacer who had taken Zekk in, died years ago. There was no one left to send Zekk's personal items to. Luke considered sorting through the holos and sending them to his niece and nephew, but he felt it was an invasion of the man's privacy. For now, he would place them in storage until the new academy was set up. In Jaina's message alerting the Jedi of Zekk's death, she mentioned that she was making a memorial marker for him.

Luke placed the holo back into the crate. He carried the two crates to the storage closet down the hallway. He pulled a writing utensil from his pocket and wrote "Zekk" one the one containing the holos. He was going to get rid of the clothing.

Luke sat crouched by the box. He had felt Zekk's death in the Force, coupled with Jaina's shock. He could see how hard she was taking his death in the message she'd sent. He hadn't spoken to her yet. Zekk had died protecting others. Luke remembered the unsure teen on Yavin IV who had been wary of using the Force for some time. Luke had known then that Zekk would have to come to terms with his past before he could become a Jedi. Luke was proud of the man Zekk had become. He would remember him, just as he had every other Jedi he knew who fell.

The lab was empty, something Telma was grateful for. She was sitting on a stool at one of the tables. Various test tubes and containers were scattered over the surface. She tapped her nails on the surface in thought. Jag had stopped by shortly after he returned to thank her and Danni for their help and to tell her about Britna.

Guilt wracked her brain. She had encouraged Britna to volunteer and now she was dead. Her logical side knew that it was silly. She had no reason to feel guilty. She hadn't spent much time with the woman, but she cared for her. Britna had reminded Danni of her long-lost niece.

Hundreds of beings were leaving the base today. Some were going back with their families; others were drifters. Danni was being moved on to another project. She said that she could bring Telma along with her on her next project, if she wanted. Telma wasn't sure. She had briefly entertained returning the Ryloth, but her place was here. She enjoyed her work with Danni, but she was thinking about returning to her medical roots. Despite recent successes, the war wasn't over. The injured still needed attending.

Telma turned her wrist and ran her nail over a long, thin scar. It was from an amphistaff. She'd thrown her hand up to protect her lekku from a whipping. Some of the scientists had asked if she wanted to get the scars removed. She wanted to keep them, but not as a reminder of what happened. The scars were a part of her now. They were as much a part of her as her lekku.

Telma pushed away from the table. She was done feeling sorry for herself. She was alive; that was all that mattered.

Jag closed the door to the children's room. They had finally fallen asleep after a long evening. Jaina was standing by the kitchen unit, drying a cup. He watched as she placed it in a cabinet. She set the towel back on the counter and turned to face him. He crossed the room in a few strides. He rested his hands on her hips as she slung her arms around his neck.

"They're asleep," he said quietly. "We didn't make it past page three."

Jaina raised an eyebrow as she responded, "Wow, they must have been tired to fall asleep during _The Seven Ewoks._"

"How many times have we read that?"

"At least twenty," Jaina answered. "Us, anyway. No way to know how many times other people read it to them."

"Was there anything you wanted to do tonight?" he asked as he leaned down to place a kiss along her jaw line.

"Not…particularly," she answered slowly. Her fingers trailed up his neck and into his hair. She started to massage his scalp. He tipped his head forward, closing his eyes. Her hand drifted from the back of his head to his cheek. She stared at him, gazing through her lashes. He watched as she blinked slowly. The braid she had worn earlier had left her hair somewhat wavy, framing her face.

He leaned down and captured her lips in a long, slow kiss. He backed her up against the edge of the counter. One hand undid the top buttons on her shirt. He moved from her lips to the pulse on her neck. She closed her eyes as she tilted her head back.

Jag stepped back, taking her hand. His gaze fell on a datapad on the table. It was a copy of Jaina's report from the mission. She followed his gaze. Seeing it reminded him of everything that still needed done.

"What now?" he asked, more to himself than to Jaina.

She didn't have an answer for him; he hadn't expected her to. There simply wasn't one. It was out of his hands for now. He would continue to defend the galaxy, and his family, until the end of his life. He brushed a few strands out of Jaina's face. Around a year ago, he was toiling away in a Yuuzhan Vong slave camp. He had no real hope of escaping. Sometimes he still had a hard time believing he was back. It seemed almost like he was tempting fate at times.

He didn't know what the long-term effects of everything that had transpired would be. He hoped it would make a difference. Reuniting families alone had made it worth it to him.

Jaina smiled encouragingly at him. He had no doubt that she sensed what he was feeling. He remembered seeing her for the first time in years. She'd fought her way into the doctor's office to see him. Seeing her again had momentarily erased the hardships from his mind.

And now, he was standing in their quarters. Their children were safely asleep in their room and held his wife in his arms. If he had to go through what he had to reach this point, then he wouldn't argue.

It was more than worth it.


	38. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

A white couch sat against the wall in the lobby of the Sliven Healing Center. The couch stood out against the bright red carpet. A young woman smiled at the young Rodian sitting on it. The woman's hair was cut short and held away from her face by a wide red headband. Araneya called one of the attendants to alert them of the new patient's arrival.

Araneya had helped Tahiri found the center on Ossus. Tahiri had created it specifically for helping victims of the Yuuzhan Vong war. The other Jedi helped her set it up. It started a year ago. Araneya had never fully recovered. She'd accepted that she never would be completely normal. However, she wanted to do something proactive with her time and began working as one of the receptionists. A droid was stationed with her, and a supervisor checked on her every hour.

"Good afternoon, Araneya," Tahiri greeted as she entered the lobby with Jacen Solo. He spent a lot of time at the center working with patients.

"Good afternoon," she greeted them. She asked, "Are you leaving for Corellia?"

Jacen nodded as he said, "Yes, though I doubt we'll make it in time."

"Are you sure you will be okay?" Tahiri asked with concern. " Tekli is staying here in my place. You can talk to her whenever you need to."

"I'll be fine. Have a good time," Araneya reassured her. Tahiri rarely left the center. She wanted to be available for anyone who needed her, especially Araneya. The two of them had formed a close friendship over time.

Tahiri smiled and said goodbye. She and Jacen were on their way to meet the newest member of the Solo-Fel family.

Arenya turned back to her computer screen. She began inputting a supply order. She worked for thirty minutes without interruption.

A loud crash distracted her. She looked up to see that a cleaning droid had knocked into a trashcan. She shrugged it off, and then looked down at the computer screen with some confusion.

Where was she at?

Maddie's Bar and Grill was one of the most popular restaurants on Cirrus. Nichos named the establishment for Stav's dead wife to honor their family. After the war ended, he had placed a marker on Stav's home planet for his family. He had returned to Cirrus and helped rebuild the planet.

"Hey, Nichos!" a local named Chi called out as he entered the restaurant.

Nichos greeted him with a nod. He pulled a glass out of the cabinet and filled with Chi's favorite ale. He was one of his many regulars.

"How's it going?" Chi asked as he took the glass gratefully.

"Good," he responded. "You?"

"Just got off work. That new medical facility is almost done. I installed the comm systems today," Chi said. The medical center was the first new large building to be completed on the planet.

"Good."

"It's slated to open at the end of the month. You know anyone looking for work?"

"I'll pass the word around," he answered. He could think of a couple customers who might be interested in a job.

Nichos continued cleaning glasses. He knew almost everyone who came in. He worked all the time. His other employees tried to get him to take time off, but he wouldn't. He had friends, but he felt more comfortable alone. Many of the other survivors felt that way. Trust had died during the war. You never knew if your neighbor was a Vong in disguise, or would sell you out to save their own lives. People were friendly enough in public, but behind closed doors relationships were harder.

Nichos placed the glass he was cleaning into the cabinet. He looked towards a plaque on the wall. The building was dedicated to Stav, Maddie and Abby and those who lose their lives on Yavin IV. It was a small gesture, but one he knew would be appreciated.

"You coming to the festival tonight?" Chi asked.

"What is it, exactly?"

"We used to have it here every year. It celebrated the formation of the last government. First time in ten years we're having it," he said. "There's going to be a bunch of locally cooked food, music and all sorts of stuff."

Nichos almost refused, but it sounded like an entertaining evening. It would help him integrate more with the local population. It would also push him a step closer to living. "Yeah, I'll be there."

Davin chased Ani down the beach on Corellia. They couldn't go into the water, but that didn't stop them from getting near the ocean. They loved being outside, which was no surprise given how much time they had spent inside during the war. Ani crashed into Jag's legs. She smiled up at him as he picked her up. He kissed her forehead. Davin caught up to Jag, giggling.

"Come on, you two. It's time to make dinner for your mother," he told them as he set Ani back on the ground. At six-years-old, she was too big to be carried. They walked up to the house. Jag grinned as the back patio door of their rented house opened and Jaina stepped out. She was carrying their newborn daughter, Rika, in her arms.

Jaina smiled warmly at him as he took the sleeping baby from her. "She just finished dinner."

"Mommy, are Grandma Leia and Grandpa Han coming to eat?" Ani asked. Han and Leia had a small house on Corellia. They considered it their permanent home, though they never stayed there for more than a month.

"They'll be here soon," Jaina said, "Go on inside, you two."

Davin and Ani slipped into the house in excitement. Jacen was also on his way. It had been months since the entire family was together. Jaina closed the door behind them. She turned and gave Jag a serious look, "General Rostek wants us back."

"The Vong are pressing their borders again," Jag stated. The war had ended a year and a half ago. After the success of Jag's operatives, the Alliance recruited the freed slaves to fight. Coruscant was taken back in six months. Tahiri, Jacen and Jaina had taken down Shimmra, Nom Anor and the warmaster. The Galactic Alliance had offered a peace treaty, but many of the Vong refused. Some had killed themselves. The Vong that had survived, mainly Shapers and non-warring castes, were transferred onto a planet in the Unknown Regions, forbidden to leave.

The Chiss, Empire and Galactic Alliance guarded the planet. There were some Vong still scattered throughout the galaxy, harassing others. Fighter squadrons had been sent out to deal with them. Jaina and Jag had been granted leave with the birth of their daughter. Technically, Jaina's had started seven months ago, at least regarding flying.

"Yes."

Jag shifted Rika slightly. She let out a content sigh. "Tough."

Loud laughter sounded through the door. He could hear Ani and Davin, along with the rest of his family. Syal, Soontir, Cem and Wyn were inside. He smiled softly at Jaina, and then Rika. He made a silent promise to his daughter that he wasn't going to miss an important moment of her life, as he had with Ani and Davin. Despite Jaina's reassurances, he never felt like he had made up for the time he had been gone. He had been told by countless of people that it wasn't his fault, but that didn't matter.

He had done his duty to the galaxy; all that mattered was the woman at his side and his three children. He was home.


End file.
